What does it mean to repair history and the people who were colonized? Retaliate when someone says “go back to your country”? Or change the way colonization is taught in schools, ceasing to use the expression “discovery of Brazil”? This question, which received the most diverse answers, was the starting point of the RE.PA.RAR project, created by Brazilian Lucas França.
For several days, the immigrant was in Brazil Complex exhibitionat the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, listening to people who visited the exhibition. The result surprised the artist. “Reparar was a big surprise, because we thought there would be a lot more tension. My objective is not to blame anyone”, he tells DN Brazil. But there was no tension – on the contrary. “The first person I heard cried, for example”remembers.
Lucas believes that this result is, in part, due to the type of public that frequents Gulbenkian. “Gulbenkian’s audience is very specific, very politicized, they are people with colonial consciousness”, he assesses. For him, the very fact that the foundation hosts the exhibition and promotes parallel activities with immigrants demonstrates interest in the topic. As he stated at the inauguration of the DN Brazil Miguel Magalhães, director of the Gulbenkian Culture program, one of the objectives was precisely “contribute to healing some wounds, to establish perfectly conscious conversations and dialogues”.
According to the artist, “heal” was one of the words he heard most during the performance. “We need to heal the past. The word repair goes from noticing to repairing. People managed to make this parallel between these possible meanings, but most recognize that it is necessary to review the past, look back and heal, heal”highlights. This left the immigrant “very optimistic”, as it was something he did not expect – and also because it contrasted with the scenario he experienced on the streets.
Lucas cites, for example, the case of a lady who complained about the presence of Brazilian artists at Teatro São Luiz. “It is a time of many fissures in relation to immigrants. We have to find ways to talk, and art exists for that too. I’m not interested now in talking about Shakespeare; I want to talk about what’s happening now,” argues.
The answers heard will compose an audio piece, in partnership with Portuguese artist Hugo Vasconcelos, who is also open to the topic. “My relationship, as a Portuguese, is perhaps not very close to the general relationship. Since I was a child, I have always had a very clear perception of prejudices – whether it be because people have more or less pigmentation, or speak the same language with a small variation. In the end, we are all human”says Hugo.
Another stage of the project is “complaining”, an open space for people to express what they believe needs to change. An edition was held at Fábrica Braço de Prata, in which complaints against the Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum (AIMA) dominated the conversation, in addition to the difficulties in having one’s professional trajectory recognized in the Portuguese job market… or even cold houses in winter and too hot in summer. “Many of these complaints are mine too”highlights the creator of the performance.
Then comes the third phase, “healing”. Regarding this stage, Lucas still does not reveal many details, but says that there will be actions on the street and community involvement. “Art also serves to provoke strangeness that makes people reflect.”he concludes. And hope that this matter will really be cured.
amanda.lima@dn.pt
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