I was born in Manaus (AM), and I have been working in the performing arts and visual arts for 41 years. I create a dialogue between the performer/performance body, dance, theater and visual arts in non-traditional places and contexts of cities (streets, sidewalks, corners, ruins) and/or traditional scenic box. I lived and worked artistically in Rio de Janeiro (1987-1989); São Paulo (1990-1996); and New York (1996-2006). 12 years ago I returned to Manaus, where I am a freelance Artist and Cultural Manager. I am a PhD student in Visual Arts at the Postgraduate Program in Visual Arts at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (PPGAV/UFRG). I accomplished artistic improvement at the Movement Research Organization (1996-98-New York - USA), with a scholarship from the CAPES APARTES program from the Ministry of Education and Culture of Brazil, focusing on Performance Art, Somatic Studies, Processes of Creation, North American Postmodern Dance, Contact Improvisation, and Improvisation as Performing Art. I created the work Reservoir, selected and presented at Judson Memorial Church, birthplace of the artistic movement Judson Dance Theater (New York 2002-USA). With this performance I was awarded the Manaus Arts Award 2014 visuals from Fundação Manauscult. In New York City (USA), I showed my creations in spaces internationally recognized for dedicating themselves to the performing arts contemporary ones such as: Performance Space 122 (PS122); Dixon Place; Saint Mark's Church/Danspace; Judson Memorial Church; The Kitchen Center for Video, Music and Performance; and Here Center of Art, among others. My work BloCorpo was awarded with Rumos Itaú Cultural Processos 2009/10 (SP). I have been an award-winning artist numerous times by the Ministry of Culture/Funarte. I am co-creator of the Pitiú Textual das Artes website.
During the 2020-2022 pandemic crisis, as a way of establishing a performative relationship with the urban area of the city of Manaus, even with the restrictions of social isolation due to the coronavirus, I performed "Corpos-Troncos-Etc-Jaz" (Bodies-Trunks-Etc Dead).
I walk through the city, and when I find a cut tree trunk in the middle of the side walk, I perform a ritual meeting between my body-performer and this organic material that is the trunk of a tree, which was discarded on the street. Thus, metaphorically redefining the relationship between the human being and a tree that was cut down without respecting its Being, its memory and its ancestral nature.
The performance also wants to reflect on the urban space of the city of Manaus, in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, but where there are almost no trees around the city. What you can see in the city of Manaus is a lot of asphalt and concrete. That is, the population of Manaus generally does not have a loving relationship with trees, even though they live in a city surrounded by the largest tropical forest in the world.
Photos by Larissa Martins
Photos by Leo Scantbelruy
Photos by Alonso Junior
