Essa palavra presa na garganta
Films by contemporary Brazilian artists

The programme Essa palavra presa na garganta [That word stuck in my throat], which gathers some of today’s most renowned Brazilian artists at maat, takes its name from a line from a song written and originally performed by the Brazilian composers Chico Buarque and Gilberto Gil in 1973. Cálice is just one of the hundreds of songs that were censored during Brazil’s military dictatorship that began with the civil and military coup of 1964 against President João Goulart. For more than two decades (1964 – 1985), thousands of people, most of whom intellectuals, artists, journalists, politicians and students, were persecuted, tortured and forcibly exiled. Interestingly, this was also a time of great cultural and artistic outpouring in the country with countless movements emerging to denounce and resist the regime. 

On 1 January 2019, Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s far-right presidential candidate, was elected and formed the government with the highest number of military officers in ministerial positions since the turbulent period of dictatorship. And this presence of the military in the executive and civil service, as well as the abusive and arbitrary use of violence and the spread of hate and intolerance speech, has led to countless protests and demonstrations that are unprecedented in the country’s history.  

Rather than promoting a profound and broad debate on authoritarianism in the 21st century and the so-called authoritarian democracies — both right- and left-oriented — which have increasingly become a threat to fundamental freedoms and democracy all around the world, these films included in maat Mode 2020 programme aim to reflect on the value and importance of freedom — of expression, thought, artistic creation, sexual expression, religion... They will examine “that word stuck in my throat” — the freedom to say what you think. Freedom is a universal right and the museum is its home.

Artists
Cinthia Marcelle & Tiago Mata Machado, Eder Santos, Letícia Parente, Marilá Dardot, Marcellvs L., Paulo Nazareth, Rivane Neuenschwander, Sara Ramo, Tamar Guimarães, Thiago Rocha Pitta, among others.