In this edition of Acervo Comentado, curator Ana Maria Maia reflects on “Trans Amazônica”, a video work by Luciana Magno.
With a research focus on performance, Magno develops investigations in which the landscape integrates the body and the body integrates the landscape. In “Trans Amazônica”, the artist stands on an unfinished stretch of the BR-230, a highway begun during Brazil's civil-military dictatorship. The work prompts reflections on power structures, human action and its effects on the environment, beings and communities. “Trans Amazônica” was awarded the Delfina Foundation residency prize at the 19th Festival Sesc_Videobrasil. Today, the work is part of the Videobrasil Collection and can be seen in its entirety at Associação Cultural's video libraries by appointment via arquivo@videobrasil.org.br.
Ana Maria Maia (Recife, Pernambuco) is chief curator at the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, researcher and teacher. She has a PhD in Visual Arts from the University of São Paulo (USP), a master's degree from Faculdade Santa Marcelina and a journalism degree from the Federal University of Pernambuco. She is the author of the book “Arte-veículo: intervenções na mídia de massa brasileira” (2015).
*Commented Collection invites curators and researchers to reflect on the works in the Videobrasil Collection. With unprecedented critical analyses, the project expands information about the works in the light of contemporary issues and offers new angles for research, activating Associação Cultural Videobrasil's collection and expanding knowledge about artists from the Global South.