I will do what I must to survive

“I will do what I must to survive” is an exhibition proposal which aims to study how the material reality of trans women in Brazil manifests itself through the art produced by artists in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The central theme of this exhibition circles around concepts brought up by Edouard Glissant in The Poetics of Relation.

When conceptualizing the theoretical backbone of this paper, Glissant’s notions of Relation and Chaos-Monde (Glissant, p137) provided a theoretical backdrop to understand how the trans community in Brazil has historically attempted to define its place in Brazilian society. Glissant’s theories provide a point of view from which we can analyze the material reality of trans Brazilians.

The trans community in Brazil is diverse and widespread, and it is important to stress that in a country of continental proportions such as Brazil, it is unwise to expect a homogeneity in experiences. Realities can change drastically from region to region, and in a capitalist, deeply colonized country with a past so deeply rooted in slavery and the catholicism, factors such as race, class, and religion are reality changing. That is not to say that there aren’t intersecting issues. Much to the contrary, many of these factors intersect with one another on multiple levels.

For those who care, the truth has always been apparent. Brazil has a long and arduous history of violence towards its marginilized citizens, where being in the intersection of marginilized groups will stack up and multiply the potential violence directed towards you. Researcher Berenice Bento shines a light on how this violence affects trans women. Based on research conducted along with the Latin American Center in Sexuality and Human Rights, Bento showcases the sad reality, Brazil is the country that kills the most trans people in the world.

In her paper Brasil: País do Transfeminicidio, Bento coins the term trans-femicide to grasp the situation that the trans community sees themselves in. Bento speaks of Trans-femicide as being a project, intent on the systematic elimination of the Brazilian trans population. This project is constantly shelling out extreme violence towards trans women, who are being killed at a heartbreaking rate.

I propose that we view this in a different lens, where we focus not on the targeted nature of this violence, but on the reaction to it from the trans community. Glissant says that “Passivity plays no part in Relation,” and the trans community have definitely not been passive towards their situation. Instead, a toolset has been passed down from generation to generation, where these techniques and technologies are in constant evolution. This way, a culture is created, one that is directly impacted by the relation it has with those not a part of it.

In a lot of ways this exhibition is a zoomed in look into what I hope will be my research heading into a doctoral program. My research has consolidated itself in an attempt to map the technologies of resistance employed by trans people in my home country of Brazil. These technologies have a direct impact on the artistic output of many contemporary trans artists in Brazil. Though there is yet to be a cohesive and organized artistic movement, many of the elements are there. Shared symbols, mediums and references, even constructs that could be considered manifestos. This exhibition will highlight how some of these themes, messages, and images are repeatedly used in a response to the normalized violence towards the trans community.

I have a deep rooted love for my country, my people, and our culture. With that love comes the drive to change the tough reality most Brazilians face. Brazil is the country that kills the most trans people in the world, with a trans-femicide number that is 4x higher than the country that follows it. In July of 2018 Theusa Passarelli, trans artist, student, and my friend, was brutally murdered at the age of 21. Her body was tortured, beaten, and incinerated, her remains never to be found. Theusa’s story is a horrible glimpse into the horror that is rained upon marginalized bodies, not just in Brazil, but in most of the world. This exhibition is an ode to trans resilience and survival in the face of abject brutality. It is a dedication to the memory of not just Theusa Passarelli, but to the countless trans and queer people whose lives have been cut too short, and to the ones who are still here, fighting for each other, doing what they must to stay alive.