In order to understand the 1964 coup in Brazil – and the prominence of military intervention as a topic in the country’s public discourse today – it is necessary to look back through earlier conflicts in Brazil’s history. At least, that is the notion underlying an exhibition currently on display at the Moreira Salles Institute in São Paulo.
“Conflicts: Photographs and Political Violence in Brazil 1889-1964” takes a wide angle to the topic of violent political instability in the country’s history. With an archive of 338 photographs, the exhibition presents images of internal conflicts throughout 75 years of the country’s history.
Images of public unrest in the second half of the 20th century in the exhibition "Conflicts" (Moreira Salles Institute, São Paulo)
Images from the 1930s in the exhibition "Conflicts" (Moreira Salles Institute, São Paulo)
The exhibition’s explicit goal is to dispel the myth that Brazil is an essentially peaceful country because it is so rarely involved in external conflicts. Revolts and armed interventions – the vast majority of which involved the direct participation of the state – riddle Brazil’s past. In focusing on events before the military dictatorship, the collection of images reframes Brazil’s coup as a uniquely egregious event grounded in long-term political tensions and armed conflicts.
Photographs on display at the cultural center include images of the Canudos War (1896-97), the Navy Revolt (1910), popular uprisings after President Getúlio Vargas committed suicide in the 1950s, and finally culminates in the violence of the 1964 coup.
In addition to reflecting on Brazil’s military and political history, the exhibition dwells on the role of photography itself in constructing the public’s understanding of political conflicts, both past and present. The camera can be a tool for rigorous reporting – as well as for propaganda, or anything in between.
Visit the exhibition for free through July 29:
Instituto Moreira Salles
Avenida Paulista, 2.424
Tel: (11) 2842-9120
Have you already seen “Conflicts”? How did it affect your understanding of the military coup in 1964?