Filho Bastardo II - Cena de Interior 1995

Editor: This is Adriana Varejão's "Filho Bastardo II - Cena de Interior," created in 1995. It's a mixed-media piece, almost like a miniature scene encased in an oval frame. There's a real sense of division running right through the middle of the image; it almost feels violent. What is your interpretation of it? Curator: The most striking aspect is indeed that rupture – a visceral slash dissecting the composition. It demands we consider what divides this scene and perhaps the society it represents. The title, “Bastard Son II - Interior Scene", points to questions of legitimacy and hidden histories within the domestic space. This recalls Brazil’s colonial history and its consequences for both enslaved people and those considered illegitimate by the colonizers. Editor: So the violent division is perhaps not just aesthetic? Curator: Exactly. Varejão’s work consistently engages with the fraught history of colonialism in Brazil, its representation and impact on the populations affected. The contrasting scenes on either side of the divide—one with figures that recall Portuguese colonists, the other alluding to enslaved persons in a domestic setting—underscore power imbalances and the lasting legacies of historical injustice. Note the color palette which reflects typical tones of the time which brings in associations with early colonial artwork and the exoticisation and fetishization that often takes place in colonial contexts. Editor: That’s fascinating! I initially saw the split as a purely formal device, but now I understand it functions as a potent symbol of societal divisions. Curator: These tensions and their lingering impacts inform Varejão’s practice significantly, which aims at social consciousness of inequalities and power within historical works. I wonder what your perspective is, now? Editor: I’ll never look at this – or maybe any – artwork in the same way again! It's so powerful how Varejão uses this simple, miniature scene to make such a strong point about colonial history and present day division. Thanks for shining a light on that.