Afro-Brazilian personalities honored in graffiti exhibition

In a collective graffiti exhibition, the Museum of Image and Sound (MIS) is paying tribute to 81 Afro-Brazilian personalities in November, Black Consciousness month. The works, created by 81 artists from the outskirts of cities in São Paulo state, are on display at the museum's headquarters. Reproductions of these works are spread over almost a hundred São Paulo cultural spaces, such as the Afro-Brazil Museum, the Latin America Memorial, and the so-called Culture Factories.

The exhibition is part of the Virada da Consciência Negra program, composed of 220 activities in museums, libraries, theaters, Culture Factories, and institutions of the Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy of the state of São Paulo.

"[Our intention is] to give great visibility to Afro-Brazilian artists and their works in order to highlight their immense contribution to the cultural scene of our country," the Secretary of Culture and Creative Economy Sérgio Sá Leitão said in an interview with Agência Brasil.

"[We have proposed] activities that stimulate the public to reflect on this evil that is racism, which unfortunately still persists in Brazilian society, an evil that needs to be eradicated, that needs to be fought. The idea is that these activities invite the population to think and reflect on the issue of racism, generate indignation and repudiation towards racism," he added.

Among the Afro-Brazilian personalities honored is Emanoel Araújo, founder, director, and curator of the Afro-Brazil Museum, who died on September 7, and is recognized for defending, valuing, and giving visibility to the Afro-Brazilian cultural production in the most diverse fields. Another personality is singer Elza Soares - a reference in black music - who died earlier this year.

According to the secretary, the choice of graffiti was made because of the representativeness of this type of art. "Graffiti is essentially an urban artistic language born in the slums and outskirts and it reaches a world in which the vast majority of artists are black. So it is a manifestation, a visual arts language that is very much associated with the contribution of the black community to the art and culture of our country."

The honorees have been chosen by the Council of Participation and Development of the Black Community (CPDCN) of São Paulo state, the first body in the country created to defend the rights of the black community and fight against racism. According to the state Secretariat of Culture, the 81 Afro-Brazilian personalities were selected because of their relevant trajectory and biography.