The right to dream and emotion of “Ser Tão” (being such) an artist: the defence of human rights through the paths of art
Right to Dream; Right to Emotion; “Grande Sertão: veredas”; Human Rights Found in Art.
The Right to Dream and Emotion of “Ser Tão” (being such) an artist: the defence for the realization of human rights on the paths of art, through the Case Study methodology, we interviewed 21 (twenty-one) artists, participants in the Paramar social movement. We reflected on their praxis of struggle for the realization of human rights in overcoming the multiple colonial oppressions experienced in the "Grande Sertão: Veredas" (ROSA, 2001) which, metaphorically, we initially idealized as a place where unfeasible, socially marginalized people live, a "zone of non-being" (FANON, 2008). Through the paths of art, dreams and emotions, it is redesigned as a "zone of being", a place of resistance, (re)existence and the struggle for access to human rights. ( Ser) Tão, In other words, “Ser” (Being) in the sense of being human and “Tão”(So) in its full potential, creativity and fruition of human rights. Through decolonial lenses, we unlearn what coloniality has taught us, we relearn, we paint, we draw, we embroider, we photograph, we sew, we reconstruct, we dream, we are moved by the participating artists. And along these artistic paths, we encountered Human Rights Found in Art. After this exciting encounter, aware that the spaces of power are usually occupied by the hegemonic population of the global north, we moved forward to retake our rightful place, which was taken from us by colonization, to collectively build an authentic right, found in the street, in art, in the cry of the artists' voices: these are the Human Rights Found in Art. On these paths, we faced droughts in the backlands, storms in the Red Atlantic, overcame obstacles, broke dams and barriers, guided by our dreams, emotions and with a lot of courage, we arrived at the UN headquarters in Geneva, took our rightful place, spoke, reflected, shouted, fought, sang and expressed ourselves through art. In the end, we collectively built an international human rights recommendation that was delivered to the head of this international organization. On the way back to Brazil, strengthened by the progress we had made, we drafted the Bill to Regulate the Profession of Visual Artists (PL1928/24), which is currently going through the National Congress. We recognize that the struggle is just beginning for yet another impossible dream to become reality, until the "world sees a flower sprout from the impossible ground" of the “Grande Sertão” on the paths of art.