Embassy of Portugal opens exhibition Art in the Garden: 50 years of the Carnation Revolution

The Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, defended, on Tuesday (7), during the opening of the exhibition Art in the Garden: 50 years of the Carnation Revolution, at the Embassy of Portugal, that culture and diversity are fundamental elements for democracy .

“We know that the full exercise of citizenship, the defense of culture and art permeates the defense of democracy. Without culture there is no democracy; and there is no democracy without culture,” he declared.

The exhibition brings together eleven works by Portuguese artists that explore issues and values ​​associated with the Carnation Revolution, which took place on April 25, 1974, which deposed the dictatorial regime of António Salazar and marked the beginning of Portugal’s redemocratization.

The project is framed under the Culture Incentive Law, the Rouanet Law, and is sponsored by the Portuguese company EDP Brasil. The exhibition is free and runs from May 9th to October 17th.

EDP ​​CEO, João Marques Cruz, highlights that this exhibition is fundamental to the collective memory of all Portuguese people. “The 25th of April is very important for the collective memory of the Portuguese nation, it is a milestone in Portugal’s relationship with all countries that speak our language. These are realities that unite Brazilian culture and Portuguese culture,” he declared.

Arte no Jardim is curated by Benjamin Weil, director of the Gulbenkian Modern Art Center; and Marcelo Gonczarowska Jorge, curator of the Brasília Museum of Art, and was conceived in three movements.

The first, fears, aspirations and desires, presents works related to the causes of the revolution, addressing racial, political and gender issues. The second movement refers to the emotions and tensions related to the events that marked April 25th. The last movement, awakening, focuses on the work of Portuguese artist Márcio Carvalho, Ecos de Liberdade.

According to the Portuguese ambassador to Brazil, Luís Faro Ramos, the 50th anniversary of April 25th has profound meaning for Portugal and the world. “The Carnation Revolution is synonymous with democracy, citizenship and equality, fundamental values ​​for our societies and Portuguese-Brazilian relations,” he said.

On April 25, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva participated in a dinner at the Embassy of Portugal, in Brasília, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution. In his speech, Lula spoke about how the movement instigated other countries in the fight for democracy. “The Carnation Revolution bequeathed to Portugal a plural and inclusive political system, aimed at promoting human dignity and building a free, fair and supportive society. The democratic and humanist ideals of the Carnation Revolution served as an inspiration to other countries. The Brazilian Constitution of 1988 itself, known as the Citizen Constitution, was inspired by the prospective and transformative model of the Portuguese Constitution of 1976. This date marks not only the beginning of Portugal’s redemocratization, but also the moment in which the country defeated fascism , recognized the right to self-determination of all peoples and began the journey to confront its colonial past.”

The revolution
On April 25, 1974, the Carnation Revolution – led by the military and supported by the majority of the civilian population – put an end to the Estado Novo in Portugal. A dictatorial regime that lasted 41 years.

The uprising, quick and peaceful, was orchestrated by the military and ended one of the longest authoritarian regimes of the 20th century, led largely by dictator António de Oliveira Salazar. The Carnation Revolution was called that way because of the red carnations that, distributed among the population, were placed by dissident soldiers in the barrels of their weapons.

Relationship – Brazil Portugal
In addition to the historical dimension, Brazil and Portugal have expanded their bilateral political partnership, in terms of trade, technology, health, education, human rights, culture and tourism.

In 2023, the trade flow between Portugal and Brazil was US$4.7 billion with a surplus of US$2.7 billion for Brazil. Data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) show that, currently, more than 400 thousand Brazilians reside in Portugal.

In the cultural sector, Brazil and Portugal signed a partnership for the publication of binational notices by the National Cinema Agency (Ancine) and the Cinema and Audiovisual Institute (ICA).

The agreement includes feature-length fiction, animation and documentary projects, carried out in international co-production between Brazilian and Portuguese producers. Ancine will contribute resources to Brazilian projects and ICA to Portuguese projects. Proposals will be selected by a binational commission.

Service:
Art in the Garden Exhibition: 50 years of the Carnation Revolution
Date: May 9th to October 17th 2024
Location: Embassy of Portugal (Avenida das Nações, Lot 2 – Brasília, DF)
Days and times: Thursdays and Fridays, from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm and the first Saturday of each month, from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm
Free event. Just present an identification document.

Source: Ministry of Culture.