Today we return to these historical examples of artistic appropriation, ethnographic scholarship, and private and institutional collecting, through a consideration how these narratives have been disrupted by decolonizing and indigenous movements, including the demand for a restitution and institutional restructuring. The discussion will introduce questions posed by the exhibition with a focus on Brazil, consider the dissemination of Bauhaus ideas through a number of educational initiatives, explore the appreciation and collecting of popular, indigenous and Afro Brazilian cultural artefacts, and consider the historical circumstance of the groups involved at the time these collections were being made.
Structured as a series of conversations between artists, indigenous scholars and activists, curators, theorists, and art historians, this event seeks to foster a dialogue between different perspectives on historical as well as contemporary questions.