Historical Context:

• José Teófilo de Jesus: Brazilian painter and gilder.
• Most noted representative of the Bahian School of painting.
• Independence: Brazil was a colony of Portugal until  1822 - Allegory painted before Empire and period of Nation building.
• Romanticism: Created during Romantic period --> marked by renewed interest in national identity and the country's (Brazil) rich cultural heritage. 
• Costumbrismo: Literary artistic movement originated in 19th century Spain, later spread to Latin America.  

 Movement characterised by its depiction of everyday  life and customs --> captures the essence of local cultural identity.          

Key themes:

• Power & Hierarchy: Superiority of European powers  -> their belief in right to dominate (Eurocentrism).

• Colonialism & Imperialism: Exerting influence and dominance over other continents:

• Exoticisation and Othering: 'Othering' of non-European cultures by representing them as mysterious and primitive
•   ↪  The foreignness of certain animals to Europe's    common knowledge - something 'other' to what they're used to seeing everyday.

Identity:

• Indigenous cultures and identities were subjugated to those of colonial powers.
• Native American woman highlights the region's indigenous roots and ongoing struggle to reconcile those roots with its colonial legacy. 

•  America's feather headdress --> symbol of indigenous resistance against European domination attempts. 
• She has feet down on sugar cane and cocoa - protecting the goods of her country ↓

Reception: 

• Underscores unequal power ties between Europe and the Americas. 
• Eurocentrism: Continents are primitive - in need of 'civilising'.
• Idea of racial difference in terms of exoticization of non-European peoples. 
• Historicism - considering the work's historical context (political, social, cultural) and colonial mindset that informed its creation.

Relevant works:

• Describes the richness of land shown in the tropics of LatAm as source of pride and identity for its inhabitants.

• Personifying continents as feminine allegorical figures = Ripa's ephemeral artistic tradition.

• Explore the intrinsic relationship between history and culture in Latin America.
• Interpret how the historical and cultural circumstances in which the work is received can impact the way it is interpreted and understood. 
• Study the ways in which external influences such as Eurocentric and Androcentric modes of through have impacted the cultural identity of Latin America.
• Investigate how varying forms of Identity, such as individual, cultural and collective shape Latin America's cultural consciousness.
  
  

Key themes:

• Reclaiming identity --> art, literature as a means of resistance to Eurocentric and Adrocentric modes of thought
• Cultural consciousness 
• Issues related to society and politics  
• Reception - historicism 
• Cultural preservation & revival 

Structure:

• Historical context 
• Key themes
• Identity 
• Reception

_References: 

Identity:

• Collective identity: Synod addressed "to all the persons of good will" 
• Cultural: protection and preservation of indigenous identities "foster growth without weakening identity" 
• Colonisation --> led to a suppression and marginalisation of Amazonian indigenous identity through language, beliefs and customs 
• Intersectionality - addressing social and environmental justice issues with sensitivity to diverse identities and experiences
• Christian identity: promotion of ecumenism --> emphasises importance of shared identity within the Church and Amazon region
  
  

Reception:

•  Former President Bolsonaro (far-right) critical of Pope's plea to protect the Amazon: 

• Ironic due to: Brazilian Amazon deforestation increasing by 85.3% in Bolsonaro's first year in power

• Raymond Burke (US cardinal/traditionalist) - described synod as a “direct attack on the Lordship of Christ" 

• "Francis' tenure has shaken up centuries of Church eurocentrism" - reflected through Francis' global efforts to address environmental and social issues and historical injustices committed by the Church
•  'Beloved Amazon' has a universal appeal that transcends religious and cultural boundaries --> allowing Pope to reach a wider audience.
• 2015 Encyclical "Laudato si" (Praise Be) met with great acclaim for its ardent defence of the environment.

Historical and Cultural Context: 

• Kahlo lived in America from 1930-33. 
• Mexico commencing a process of reconstruction in accordance with a sense of unified revolutionary nationalism.
• Mexican Revolution - US military occupation of Veracruz 1914 and Punitive Expedition 1917.
• Great Depression decade heavily affected Mexican immigration and employment:  

• Mexicanidad: cherished indigenous historical tradition -> artefacts: coatlicue stone of Aztec rain God Tlaloc reflect pre-Columbian legacy.
• Biculturalism: a wire from America that crosses the border and reaches the roots of a white lily in Mexico -> Kahlo is a hybrid product of both cultures. 

• Grappling to fit into a modern world --> US media tied Kahlo to American culture: 

• Industrialisation - Ford Towers -> critique of artificiality: industrial smoke pollutes and besmirches US flag                ↪ Economic domination over Mexico. 
  
  

^References:

Identity:

• Emphasis on Kahlo's mestiza heritage challenges Eurocentric thought. 
• Resists western-centric view of history that privileged the US and its version of modernity by critiquing it.
• Reclaiming Mexico's pre-colonial heritage - asserting its own cultural identity through Aztec imagery.

• Self-assured, in control of her own image --> cigarette in her right hand.
• Monobrow symbolism --> refusal to conform to 'western ideal of beauty' - resistance against androcentric/eurocentrisc thought

• Underground cables of the painting --> reflects the exploitation of Mexican resources - US eating away at Mexico's cultural identity.
• Mexico's territorial loss to its powerful imperialist neighbour (mid-19th century)

Reception:

• Political Relevance: contemporary US-Mexico border relations 

• During the election, Kahlo's painting moved to Philadelphia Museum of Art for ‘Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism 1910-1950’. – now a particularly relevant testimony to the anti-immigrant language used by politicians like Trump.
• International Icon - Kahlo's image synonymous of feminism - enduring symbol of strength. 

Historical Context:

• Juan Manuel Roca - core member of the 'Disenchanted Generation'.
• Biblia de Pobres (2009). 
• National recognition: Awarded Doctor Honoris Causa title from Universidad del Valle. 
• Nadaísmo (1958-64) - literary and cultural movement    --> rejected established norms and conventions: emphasised individualism. 

• 1970s: uncontrolled violence of drug mafia and left-wing insurgent group FARC becan to dominate Colombia's social and political scene.
• Colombia today: Increase of conflict-related violence since 2021 with abuses by armed groups and massacres.
•  Covid impact: Almost half-a-million people fell into poverty in 2020.

Key themes:

• A parable of the dispossessed
• Fragmentation of society - beggars isolated from mainstream society 
• The title links verbal to visual means of representation  
• Prejudice and perspective: 'them' vs 'us'
• Suffering, poverty displacement and violence 
• Territory: 'the land of Nobody' 

“La poesía no es un genero literario; es una forma de respirar, de andar por el mundo, y de mirar la gente, de contemplar la naturaleza” - Roca. 

_{References:
Manuel R, J. 2009. Biblia de Pobres. 1st ed. Madrid: Visor Libros.}

Identity:

• Significance of title: "with" --> beggars conveyed as a secondary addition to the landscape - 'Othered' from the start. (European mode of thought).
• Sense of Self and place: "The beggars are dark strangers" - exclusion and marginalisation --> "are" conveys certainty; it's emphatic.
• How identities and groups are perceived by others: "the tourist guides  [...] the beggars are extras for a film" - the need for the guides to present them as extra --> beggars seen as a source of discomfort. 
• The needs of tourists are prioritised over the dignity and well-being of the beggars.

Reception:

• Poverty not limited to Latin America - global systemic issue 
• Poverty as spectacle - "due to their savage custom" --> language of colonialism. Form of entertainment/curiosity - links to Favela tourism (exploitative). 
• Social Psychology: 

How individuals perceive and interact with others in their social environment 

Relevant works:

• Like Humboldt, Roca explores the relationship between humans and the natural world.
• Roca's use of vivid imagery and sensory detail reflects the potential influence of Humboldt's work.

_{References:
Tarn, N. 'Translation of The heights of Macchu Picchu'. [Pablo Neruda]. 1966.}

Historical context and significance:

• Elected 2013: he is the first pope from Latin America and  the Jesuit order.
• His papal name honours Francis of Assisi (the man of poverty and of peace)
• Spiritual renewal - church at risk of becoming "pitiful NGO"
• Critical of excess capitalism: "Once greed for money presides over the entire socioeconomic system, it ruins society" - stems from Pope's own experiences of 2001 Argentinian financial crisis 
• Commitment to inter-religious dialogue 

Key themes:

1. A Social Dream: Laments the social injustice and exploitation that Amazonia and its people suffer. "We need to feel outrage" at the "injustice and crime" by "the powerful".
2. A Cultural Dream: Work together without erasing individual identities. To look at the Amazon and see only resources to be seized and sold = destroying God's beauty: "in each land and its features, God manifests himself".
3. An Ecological Dream: Caring for nature is inextricably bound with caring for human beings: "to abuse nature is to abuse our ancestors" --> calls for establishment of a legal framework for protection. 
4. An Ecclesial Dream: The Church's evangelisation: Inculturation brings the goodness already present in the indigenous Amazonian cultures to fulfilment in light of the Gospel.

_References: 

• From literature and art to music and dance, cultural expressions in Latin America often reflect and address the social and political realities of the historical times in which they were produced
• Though cultural legacy is frequently honoured, issues like social inequality, economic exploitation, colonialism, and historical degradation are deeply embedded in the region's historical narrative.

• As society evolves, so do perspectives/perceptions on History and Culture. 
• Thus, reception is largely shaped by our own unique environments: 

• Interpretation of cultural works can be influenced by the historical moment in which they are received. 

• Through my research, I've come to understand that identity is a dynamic and evolving concept rather than one that is fixed or static. 
• Latin Americans actively shape their identities in reaction to social, political, and economic developments, and this process is complex and still evolving. 
• All in all, this newfound understanding of Latina America has largely broadened my perspective and increased my appreciation of the region.
  
  
  

Identity:

• "The rapist is you" - unmasking the true identity of the state - exposing the ruling elite.
• Collective identity: movement emphasises solidarity of women against "the patriarchy that judges us for being born" - issue affecting women across different backgrounds and identities. 
• Them vs Us: Patriarchal practices upheld by "police,  judges, the state and president" - marks clear difference between those who engage in violence against women and those who suffer from it.
• "Macho rapist" - critiques machismo culture and contests its androcentric beliefs on gender roles in patriarchal society. 
• Movement --> aims to change wider discourses of knowledge and power that have historically favoured the perspectives of men and Europeans.

Reception and Impact: 

• Global outreach --> performance replicated worldwide: France, Germany, Paris, Spain, USA, UK
• Members of LasTesis appeared on TIME's list of 100 most influential people (2020).
• LasTesis encourages us to transcend our personal circumstances and recognise broader systemic issues in relation to political and gender-based violence.
• Proposal for new Chilean constitution largely rejected by voters (October 2020)
• "Patriarchal violence, and specifically the sexual violence that we denounce in this performance, is everywhere.” - LasTesis

• Brazil: #EleNao
• Ecuador: #VivasNosQueremos
• Argentina: #NiUnaMenos

Historical Context:

• October 2019, government announces increase in public transit fares. 
• Citizens protest against the 'entrenched elite'.
• Income inequality.
• “It isn’t thirty pesos…it’s thirty years.” – protest slogan 
• Piñera government declares state of emergency (first since Pinochet). 
• Police brutality: beatings, torture, blinding protestors with rubber pellets (long history of excessive force by Carabineros).
• Women's rights - increased 'feminicidios' and sexual assaults.  
• Gender-based violence (CEPAL affirmed 3,529 women died of GBV in 25 countries 2018).

Key themes:

• "Lack of public policies, impunity and lack of sentences for rapists" - Sibila (LasTesis)
• Femicide 
• 'A Rapist in Your Path' - dedicated to Carabineros 
• Machismo norms and culture 
• Patriarchal state institutions 
• Intersectionality 
• Feminist resistance and solidarity through poetry, space and metaphor 
• Feminist theory, (‘thesis’) through art 
• Rita Segato, an Argentine feminist anthropologist, influenced the performance with her publication: 'A Manifesto in Four Themes'.

• LasTesis - name of the feminist collective made up of four members: Sibila Sotomayor, Daffne Valdés, Paula Cometa and Lea Cáceres.
• A Rapist in Your Path - first performed in front of a police station during 2019 protests - described as ‘a feminist flash mob’.

_References: