Gente Aberta
A bandeira foi usada em diversas ocasiões na arte, desde Jasper Johns, Keith Haring, Barbara Kruger, Jean Michel Basquiat, Robert Longo e David Hammons nos Estados Unidos a Cildo Mereilles, Renata Lucas e mais recente Marcos Chaves no Brasil. Essa bandeira é um remix com as cores da bandeira pan-africana (como fez Davis Hammons em sua “Bandeira Afro-Americana”, 1990) que referência da escravidao no pais e também substitui o planeta na bandeira brasileira pelo logotipo da Chiquita Bananas, antes conhecida como United Fruit Company. O uso de uma personagem tipo Carmen Miranda no logotipo tem suas raízes nas “mujeres bananeras”, que se baseia na ideologia patriarcal, imperialista e capitalista, ao mesmo tempo que reforça o estereótipo latino tropical. As operações neocolonialistas de longa data da United Fruits na segunda parte do século 20 na América Latina deram origem ao nome “Banana Republic” e a empresa detinha um incrível poder político com conexões bem documentadas com a CIA. O titulo faz referência do canção de Erasmo Carlos “Gente Aberta” (Roberto e Erasmo Carlos, 1970) escrita durante a ditadura militar brasileira (1964-1985) e vista como uma tentativa oculta contra a repressão e um pedido para mais abertura.
Gente aberta, 112x160cm, cetim, Ediçao 13
Open People
The flag has been used in art on many occasions, from Jasper Johns, Keith Haring, Barbara Kruger, Jean Michel Basquiat, Robert Longo and Davis Hammons in the United States to Cildo Mereilles, Renata Lucas and more recently Marcos Chaves in Brasil. This flag is a remix using the Pan African flag colors (as did Davis Hammons in his “African American Flag”, 1990) and it also replaces the planet in the Brazilian flag with the logo of Chiquita Bananas, formerly known as United Fruit Company. The use of a Carmen Miranda like character in the logo has its roots in the “mujeres bananeras” which is based on patriarchal, imperialist, capitalist ideology while reinforcing the tropical latina stereotype. United Fruits long standing neocolonialist operations in the second part of the 20th century in Latin America gave birth to the name “Banana Republic” and the company wielded incredible political power with well documented CIA connections. The title is taken from the Erasmo Carlos Song “Gente Aberta” (Open People) (Roberto e Erasmo Carlos, 1970) written during the brazilian military dictatorship(1964–1985) and seen as hidden bid against oppression and a bid for more openness.
Open People, 112x160cm, Satin, Edition: 13
Pablo Neruda: “La United Fruit Co.” (1950)
Cuando sonó la trompeta, estuvo
todo preparado en la tierra,
y Jehova repartió el mundo
a Coca-Cola Inc., Anaconda,
Ford Motors, y otras entidades:
la Compañía Frutera Inc.
se reservó lo más jugoso,
la costa central de mi tierra,
la dulce cintura de América.
Bautizó de nuevo sus tierras
como "Repúblicas Bananas,"
y sobre los muertos dormidos,
sobre los héroes inquietos
que conquistaron la grandeza,
la libertad y las banderas,
estableció la ópera bufa:
enajenó los albedríos
regaló coronas de César,
desenvainó la envidia, atrajo
la dictadora de las moscas,
moscas Trujillos, moscas Tachos,
moscas Carías, moscas Martínez,
moscas Ubico, moscas húmedas
de sangre humilde y mermelada,
moscas borrachas que zumban
sobre las tumbas populares,
moscas de circo, sabias moscas
entendidas en tiranía.
Entre las moscas sanguinarias
la Frutera desembarca,
arrasando el café y las frutas,
en sus barcos que deslizaron
como bandejas el tesoro
de nuestras tierras sumergidas.
Mientras tanto, por los abismos
azucarados de los puertos,
caían indios sepultados
en el vapor de la mañana:
un cuerpo rueda, una cosa
sin nombre, un número caído,
un racimo de fruta muerta
derramada en el pudridero.
Pablo Neruda: “La United Fruit Co.” (1950)
When the trumpet sounded
everything was prepared on earth,
and Jehovah gave the world
to Coca-Cola Inc., Anaconda,
Ford Motors, and other corporations.
The United Fruit Company
reserved for itself the most juicy
piece, the central coast of my world,
the delicate waist of America.
It rebaptized these countries
Banana Republics,
and over the sleeping dead,
over the unquiet heroes
who won greatness,
liberty, and banners,
it established an opera buffa:
it abolished free will,
gave out imperial crowns,
encouraged envy, attracted
the dictatorship of flies:
Trujillo flies, Tachos flies
Carias flies, Martinez flies,
Ubico flies, flies sticky with
submissive blood and marmalade,
drunken flies that buzz over
the tombs of the people,
circus flies, wise flies
expert at tyranny.
With the bloodthirsty flies
came the Fruit Company,
amassed coffee and fruit
in ships which put to sea like
overloaded trays with the treasures
from our sunken lands.
Meanwhile the Indians fall
into the sugared depths of the
harbors and are buried in the
morning mists;
a corpse rolls, a thing without
name, a discarded number,
a bunch of rotten fruit
thrown on the garbage heap.