In Brazil, the year 2020, besides being turbulent and challenging, presented a picture of destruction of public institutions and reduction in state investments across the entire cultural sector. Despite this, the black arts scene seems to be better off in comparison to the past five years. Especially for the black visual arts, the dissolution of the Ministry of Culture had a devastating impact on the Palmares Cultural Foundation, which, coordinated by a black president, has attacked important black figures, and caused years of the institution’s structuring to collapse.
Parallel to this dismantling, however, a monument in homage to the black architect Tebas (Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira, 1721-1811), made by the artist Lumumba and the architect Francine Moura, was inaugurated in the city of São Paulo. At the same time, the Pinacoteca of the State of São Paulo, which has been showing interest in non-white artists, has increased their presence in the long-term exhibition of their collection, placing on display the work of 26 names, including Sidney Amaral (1973-2017), Maxwel Alexandre, Flávio Cerqueira and Jaime Lauriano. It is important to note that the institution is also sensitive to the works of contemporary indigenous artists like Jaider Esbell and Denilson Baniwa, in addition to having launched the exhibit Vexoá: nós sabemos (Vexoá: We Know), curated by Naine Terena.