A Bienal Nacional de Artes Plásticas: arte e política na Ditadura Militar

Abstract

Based on the thematic interest about the relations between art and politics during the military dictatorship in Brazil (1964-1985), we present a study of the first two editions of the National Biennial of Plastic Arts, the Bienal da Bahia, both held in 1966 and 1968. In this, we seek to investigate the strategies developed by art agents involved in the realization of the exhibitions in face of the political and institutional context of the period. After analyzing documents such as newspapers, catalogs and testimonials, from the methodological point of view, we propose two stages: first, we observe the creation of an infrastructure for the arts in Brazil, especially in Bahia, offering the necessary conditions to undertake the biennial, as well as the elements for its interdiction. Next, we scrutinize the strategies promoted within the scope of the art exhibition, observing the discourses and actions of organizers, artists, and critics. Establishing a dialogue between the Social History of Art and the studies focused on the History of Exhibitions, we would like to provoke a broader view on the Bahia Biennial, beyond the censorship episode that involved it and the only one for which it is usually remembered.