Tereza
1998
Iron, recycled fiber, and copper wire
Music: Tereza by Arnaldo Antunes / Tunga
Tereza (1998) was made for the first time in 1998 at the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (Rio de Janeiro), where the artist gathered a group of men making braids out of pieces of blankets and copper wires. The action was a reference to the technique used by prisoners to build ropes long and strong enough to escape from jail.
The ‘terezas’ of Tunga represented the escape of the museum and its academic, elitist standards, considered outdated. In addition to the braids, the space is filled with the namesake song, created by the artist in collaboration with singer-songwriter Arnaldo Antunes. At Inhotim, Tereza was created out of 565 blankets, braided by employees of the Institute during the inauguration of the gallery.
Related
