ARTISTIC COLLECTIVES AND THE CITY: THE POLITICIZATION OF ART AS A STRATEGY FOR SOCIAL AGENCY IN RIO DE JANEIRO

Abstract

The proposed study conducts a comparative analysis of the results from two empirical research projects investigating the activities of artistic and cultural collectives in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Considering the political and social events, as well as the changes that have occurred in the artistic landscape of the city over the past few decades, the research highlights how art institutions have become an integral part of these transformations. This results in unique dynamics that favor the emergence and expansion of collective actions in different areas of the city. Although the investigations indicate that this combination of factors has had a widespread impact throughout the city, the motivations for forming artistic collectives vary significantly between central and peripheral areas. Furthermore, the institutionalization or lack thereof of these collectives presents distinct justifications and social contexts, reflecting the particularities of each location. Nevertheless, the politicization of art and the claim for urban space emerge as common points among these collectives, illustrating the intersection between art and social activism.