Queermuseu
Queermuseu — Cartografias da diferença na arte brasileira (lit. 'Queer Museum — Cartographies of Difference in Brazilian Art') was a Brazilian art exhibition presented at the Farol Santander Porto Alegre center. The exhibition generated controversy due to accusations of promoting pedophilia, zoophilia, and blasphemy.[1] Propagated on social media, mainly by the Free Brazil Movement, these accusations were part of a moral panic surrounding early childhood education.[2] Santander responded to criticism and pressure from religious and conservative groups by canceling the exhibition.[3] This decision generated further criticism, based on claims of defending freedom of expression and artistic creation. After a crowdfunding campaign, the exhibition was reopened in 2018 at Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro.[4] The curator of Queermuseu, Gaudêncio Fidelis, reported that the reopening was visited by more than ten thousand people. He emphasized that he received numerous death threats because of the exhibition.[5]
Following this incident, other exhibitors began including age ratings for their exhibitions, as was the case with the Farnese de Andrade exhibition in Curitiba, which took place in the same context as Queermuseu.[6]
Context
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The exhibition generated debate on social media.[3] Christian groups, especially Catholics, along with the Free Brazil Movement and deputy Marcel van Hattem,[7] claimed that there were images that disrespected Catholic religious symbols, and images associated with pornography, pedophilia, and zoophilia.[8] According to these groups, images of communion wafers with inscriptions of the names of sexual organs were displayed, as well as images of people penetrating and masturbating animals. Furthermore, according to these allegations, an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was associated with homosexuality. According to critics of the event, the accusations of pedophilia were based on images of children portrayed in a "cross-dressing and sexualized" manner.[9][10] Another argument used by the accusers of the exhibition was the lack of age ratings, which allowed minors access to the exhibition. The use of public funds in the exhibition promoted by a private bank was also criticized.[11] As a result, there were many opposing demonstrations from these groups on the official Queermuseu social media pages. These demonstrations called for the closure of the exhibition and even the termination of accounts for customers of Santander, the bank that promoted the event.[9][12] Bank branches were even vandalized by critics of the exhibition.[3]
The Archdiocese of Porto Alegre released a statement expressing "its surprise at the promotion of the exhibition held at the Santander Cultural center in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, which disrespectfully uses symbols, elements, and images, caricaturing the Catholic faith and the concept of morality that elevates the human body and sexuality as a gift from God." The statement emphasized that there have been "discriminatory attacks on the Judeo-Christian culture that contributed to the cultural formation of the West" and affirmed that "eliminating difficulties can never mean disrespecting others and their beliefs."[10]
In light of these events, Santander decided to close the exhibition on September 10. The bank released a statement apologizing and stating that "we have heard the demonstrations and understand that some of the works in the Queermuseu exhibition disrespected symbols, beliefs and people, which is not in line with our worldview."[10][8][12][3] The exhibition's curator, Gaudêncio Fidélis, said that he was not informed before the announcement of the early closure of the exhibition and that he learned about the matter through Facebook.[3] LGBTQ NGOs stated their intention to hold a protest in front of Santander Cultural, in addition to issuing a statement of repudiation of the cancellation of the exhibition.[12]
To explain the accusations against Queermuseu, Gaudêncio Fidelis was forcibly summoned to testify before the Federal Senate by Senator Magno Malta (PR-ES), president of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into Child Abuse. In his testimony, Fidelis dismissed any connection between the CPI and the exhibition and stated that the accusations of pedophilia, zoophilia, and blasphemy were defamatory because they selected only five of the 263 works that comprised the exhibition. Gaudêncio emphasized that the accusations removed the works from their artistic contexts and distorted their original meanings. The rapporteur of the CPI, Senator José Medeiros (Pode-MT), presented one of the works used in the accusations against the exhibition, asking if it was part of Queermuseu. Gaudêncio confirmed that it was not part of Queermuseu and highlighted that this and numerous other artistic works that did not participate in the exhibition were used to defame Queermuseu. He explained that the distortion of the concept of Lygia Clark's work, The I and the You, began during an interview in Porto Alegre, when accusations of pedophilia were made by a coordinator of the MBL and caused deep embarrassment to the artist's son.[13]
Works
[edit]One of the works in the exhibition, Cena do Interior II, by artist Adriana Varejão, was accused of promoting zoophilia by depicting two male figures with a goat. Adriana states:[14][15]
This is an adult work made for adults. The painting is a compilation of existing sexual practices, some historical (such as shunga, classic erotic images of Japanese folk art) and others based on literary narratives or collected during travels through Brazil. The work does not aim to judge these practices. As an artist, I only seek to shed light on things that often exist hidden. It is an aspect of my work, adult reflection.
Legacy
[edit]Following the controversy surrounding the cancellation of the exhibition, Santander Cultural, in agreement with the Public Prosecutor's Office, paid a fine of R$420,000. Half of this amount was allocated to the "Eu Sou Cultura" grant program, focused on projects related to human rights.[16] Among these, the Associação Chico Lisboa launched the "Mostra Fora da Margem: Panorama Subjetividades Queer" in 2021, an exhibition featuring LGBTQ artists in response to the closure of the Queermuseu.[17]
The fine money was also used to fund the Porto Alegre Pride Parade for the following three years.[16]
References
[edit]- ↑ Martín, María (4 October 2017). "Crivella veta no Rio a exposição Queermuseu, censurada em Porto Alegre" [Crivella bans the Queermuseu exhibition in Rio, which was censored in Porto Alegre]. El País Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ Balieiro, Fernando de Figueiredo (2018). ""Não se meta com meus filhos": a construção do pânico moral da criança sob ameaça" ["Don't mess with my children": the construction of moral panic in children under threat]. Cadernos Pagu (in Portuguese): e185306. doi:10.1590/18094449201800530006. ISSN 0104-8333.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gobbi, Nelson (11 September 2017). "Em nota a clientes, Santander explica encerramento de mostra LGBT em Porto Alegre" [In a note to clients, Santander explains the closure of the LGBT exhibition in Porto Alegre]. O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ Carneiro, Júlia Dias (16 August 2018). "'Queermuseu', a exposição mais debatida e menos vista dos últimos tempos, reabre no Rio" ['Queermuseu', the most debated and least seen exhibition of recent times, reopens in Rio]. BBC News Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ↑ Simões, Mariana (28 August 2018). ""Eu recebi mais de cem ameaças de morte", diz curador da exposição Queermuseu" ["I received more than a hundred death threats," says the curator of the Queermuseu exhibition]. El País Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ Carlo, Josnei Di (1 January 2026). "Política da existência" [Politics of existence]. PROA (in Brazilian Portuguese) – via Academia.edu.
- ↑ Press, Associated (11 September 2017). "Gender diversity art show closed over protests in Brazil". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- 1 2 Albertim, Bruno (11 September 2017). "Santander Cultural cede à pressão e cancela mostra sobre sexualidade" [Santander Cultural yields to pressure and cancels exhibition on sexuality]. JC (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- 1 2 Sperb, Paula (11 September 2017). "Veja imagens da exposição cancelada pelo Santander, no RS" [See images from the exhibition canceled by Santander, in Rio Grande do Sul]. Veja (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Exposição blasfema é encerrada depois da mobilização de católicos" [Blasphemous exhibition shut down after mobilization by Catholics]. ACI Digital (in Brazilian Portuguese). 11 September 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ Laguna, Eduardo (21 September 2017). "Após 'Queermuseu', ministro da Cultura defende classificação indicativa em exposições" [Following the 'Queermuseu' incident, the Minister of Culture defends age ratings for exhibitions]. Estadão (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Museu de Porto Alegre encerra exposição sobre diversidade sexual após ataques em redes sociais" [Museum in Porto Alegre closes exhibition on sexual diversity after attacks on social media]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 10 September 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ "Em depoimento à CPI, curador da Queermuseu diz que acusações são difamatórias" [In testimony to the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry, the curator of Queermuseu says the accusations are defamatory]. Revista Cult (in Brazilian Portuguese). 24 November 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ Foster, Gustavo (11 September 2017). ""Queermuseu": quais são e o que representam as obras que causaram o fechamento da exposição" ["Queermuseu": what are the works that caused the exhibition's closure and what do they represent?]. Zero Hora (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ Mendonça, Heloísa (13 September 2017). "Queermuseu: O dia em que a intolerância pegou uma exposição para Cristo" [Queermuseu: The day intolerance took over an exhibition for Christ]. El País Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- 1 2 Lopes, Janaína (14 January 2021). "Multa paga pelo Santander após fechamento da exposição Queermuseu financiará projetos sobre direitos humanos" [The fine paid by Santander after the closure of the Queermuseu exhibition will fund projects on human rights]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ↑ Foster, Gustavo (4 March 2022). "Exposição aborda expressões LGBTQIA+ em resposta ao cancelamento da 'Queermuseu' em Porto Alegre" [Exhibition addresses LGBTQIA+ expressions in response to the cancellation of 'Queermuseu' in Porto Alegre]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2026.