Curatorial notes
Adriana Varejão made "Filho Bastardo", or "Bastard Son", using oil on canvas. The image presents a tropical scene of violence in colonial Brazil. The composition draws on the visual codes of history painting, but here, the heroic narrative is undermined. We see the brutal execution of an indigenous woman juxtaposed with the casual indifference of the colonizers and their slaves. Varejão is commenting on the power dynamics inherent in colonial societies, where the exploitation and dehumanization of native populations were commonplace. The title suggests the complex racial mixing that occurred in Brazil, but without the sentimentalism of much nationalist art. The bastard son is a product of colonial violence. To fully understand this work, one could research the history of slavery and colonialism in Brazil, exploring the narratives that have been marginalized or silenced. Varejão's art reminds us that the meaning of art is always shaped by the specific social and institutional conditions in which it's created and viewed.
