For ARCOmadrid 2024, A Gentil Carioca features a selection of works by the artist Denilson Baniwa. Born in Barcelos, in the interior of Amazonas, the artist is a native of the Baniwa people. He currently lives and works in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. As well as being a visual artist, he is an activist for indigenous rights and an organizer of cultural actions aimed at reconstructing the imagery of these peoples in Brazil.
The solo entitled Y-Juca-Pirama: stories from a tropical country in development addresses themes such as the ancestry and traditions of Brazil's indigenous peoples, while also examining the oppression and violence faced by these peoples since the time of colonization. Using powerful artistic languages and variable media, capable of circulating in indigenous and non-indigenous worlds, Denilson Baniwa proposes new historical interpretations in order to form a mythology of a modern Brazil.
The exhibition is part of the Nunca lo Mismo. Arte Latinoamericano (Never the Same: Latin American Art), curated by Manuela Moscoso and José Esparza Chong Cuy, which seeks to investigate the diversity of artistic forms, practices and sensibilities from Latin America.
