Mapping of the tributes to Marielle Franco

Translated by: Tatiane da Penha Schneider
Review: André Rezende Broseghini
Author: Hércules da Silva Xavier Ferreira.

There is a pain that does not subside in the city of Rio de Janeiro, inflicted by the violence against democracy that affected many people. In the street named after the late catholic leader, João Paulo I, the councilwoman Marielle Franco had her life taken away during a vile act that aimed to silence her. If on one hand, at the time, the investigation counted all the possible bullets to pierce the car she was in, driven by Anderson Gomes who also had his life taken away, on the other hand it was impossible to count how many people were hit and that, under the same pain, raised their voices in unison to ask for justice: who orderedtheir assassination?

Councilwoman Marielle’s absence has turned into strength from that pain, which turned grief into struggle, because there is no resting until the case is solved. In protests to remember her, her ideals and presence are remembered in some way. These protests are met with different support, such as urban intervention with graffiti, collages, posters, stencil arts, catch phrases, and signs that are spread around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Latin America, and spreading to the rest of the world. Her face, her body and her actions (of a strong councilwoman) are featured in various murals, light poles, streets and many other spots. Other ways of remembering her were developed like in cold porcelain sculptures, kites, flags, carnival blocks/parades, samba school themes, sewing, felt doll, sculptures, stamps, funk and Brazilian popular music songs, academic scholarships, clothes, and even in the name of this Favelas’ Dictionary.

It is truly a memory in motion, passing through different spaces and reaching new understandings. There is always the danger, however good the intentions in the homages are, of offending her image and personal history in some way, or even her political ideals of uncompromising defense of human rights. As poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade stated in his poem “Confidência do Itabirano”, “Itabira is only a picture on the wall / But how it hurts!”. In some way theseverses reinforce what the activist Indianare Siqueira said, while in Amara Moira’s book launch, “I don't want you as a name on a plate, I don't want you as a pin-back button, I don't want you as a stencil on a blouse, I want you alive”. “It was the sad day we woke up crying” were the words of Anielle Franco’s, Marielle’s sister, in the protest after her first year of grieving.

To better follow these changes and record the places where there is graffiti and other acts of remembrance, the following map was created:

• Disponível em: [1]

This work emerged from another one, which maps cultural practices of a thanatological nature, that is, the ways in which mourning is reinterpreted in places of memory in relation to the tragic rupture (accidents, crimes, catastrophes). Starting there, it was observed that since the painful day of March 14, 2018, various artistic manifestations or urban interventions (of the most varied types as already mentioned) have materialised on the streets, like kite, earrings, tattoos, t-shirts, carnaval flags, wood sculptures, sewing and crochet, street signs, felt dolls, dictionary names, parties, and artistic proposals such as performances.

The Instagram community promptly assists this mapping work, through the monitoring of hashtags such as #mariellepresente, #mariellevive, #andersonpresente, #mariellefranco. #marielle, and many others. In this case, once there is something new, they get in touch with the user who generally is eager to help and gladly writes back.

It is important to mention that all of this was developed within the Masters on Cultural Heritage from the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN), known as PEP-MP: http://portal.iphan.gov.br/pep.

The proper understandings for the making and composition of the map were collected in the readings that are found below, in the references section. Awareness and sensitivity are a process, a kind of awakening and state of being attentive, with all the senses, to urban signs and their resulting cultural practices. Remembering is also an intentional gesture of memory in the quest for propoer testimonial.

References

• ASSMANN, Aleida. Espaços da recordação: formas e transformações da memória cultural. Campinas, SP: Editora da Unicamp, 2011, 453p.
• BARTHES, Roland. Mitologias. Rio de Janeiro: Bertrand Brasil, 2001, 11º ed.
• BENJAMIN, Walter. A obra de arte na era de sua reprodutibilidade técnica. In: Obras escolhidas I. São Paulo: Brasiliense, 1987.
• CATROGA, Fernando José de Almeida. O culto dos mortos como uma poética da ausência. ArtCultura, Uberlândia, v. 12, n. 20, p. 163-182, jan.-jun. 2010.
• CATROGA, Fernando José de Almeida. Uma poética da ausência. A representificação do ausente. IN.: Catroga, Fernando José de Almeida. Os passos do homem como restolho do tempo. Memória e fim do fim da história. Coimbra: Almedina, 2009, p. 33-54.
• FARIAS, F. R.; PINTO, D. S. Memoria Social em situação traumática. Morpheus (UNIRIO. Online), v. 9, p. 173-197, 2016.
• FLUSSER, Vilém. Comunicologia: reflexões sobre o futuro: as conferências de Bochum. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2014.
• FLUSSER, Vilém. O mundo codificado: uma filosofia do design e da comunicação. São Paulo: Cosac Naify, 2007, 224p.
• GONDAR, J. O. Quatro proposições sobre memória social. In: Gondar, Josaida; Dodebei, Vera. (Org.). O que é memória social?. 1ed. Rio de Janeiro: Contra-Capa, 2005, v. 1, p. 11-26.
• HALBWACHS, Maurice. A memória coletiva. São Paulo: Vértice, 1990. 189p.
• POLLAK, Michael. “Memória, esquecimento, silêncio.” In: Estudos Históricos, Rio de Janeiro: vol. 2, nº 3, 1989. Disponível em: http://www.uel.br/cch/cdph/arqtxt/Memoria_esquecimento_silencio.pdf. Último acesso em: 17 de jul de 2018.
• SANTIAGO JÚNIOR, Francisco das C. F.. Dos lugares de memória ao patrimônio: emergência de transformação da 'problemática dos lugares'. Projeto História (PUCSP), v. 52, p. 245-279, 2015.
• SELIGMANN-SILVA, Márcio. Antimonumentos: trabalho de memória e de resistência. Psicologia USP (Online), v. 27, p. 49-60, 2016.
• SELIGMANN-SILVA, Márcio. Narrar o trauma: a questão dos testemunhos de catástrofes históricas. Psicol. clin., Rio de Janeiro, v. 20, n. 1, p. 65-82, 2008. Disponível em: <[1]>. Último acesso em 22 de out de 2019.

See also

• Ninguém solta a mão de ninguém (Depoimento).