Talk – Vilanismo – 27 years defying the statistics? – From 111 to 121: a critical review of Brazilian-style injustices and the need to organize anger strategically

On November 8, the talk 27 years defying the statistics? – From 111 to 121: a critical review of Brazilian-style injustices and the need to organize anger strategically will take place. The conversation features Maurício Monteiro, Viny Rodrigues, and Ramo, from Vilanismo, and will run from 2 to 3 pm at the Vilanismo space, on the second floor.

Between the alarming numbers — 111 massacred and the recent tragedy of 121 — lies an abyss. As Dorvi in Conceição Evaristo’s short story recalls his fraternal oath as a prayer for survival, “we agreed not to die!” In this gap, three voices — Maurício Monteiro, Viny Rodrigues, and Vilanismo — interrogate the present under the shadow of necropolitics and the management of Black and favela life, particularly that of men, in Brazil. To think about organizing anger as a strategy is also to affirm the urgency of staying alive, of feeling this emotion, of remaining creative, and even thriving alongside those we love. The gathering takes place within Vilanismo’s installation at the Bienal Pavilion, transforming the space into a crossroads of memories, numbers, and bodies. The conversation proposes to reflect on creation and art as ways of rewriting statistics through life.

Maurício Monteiro is an educator and researcher focused on memory and the prison system. He is the director of the Instituto Resgata Cidadão (IReC) and a research associate at FGV and the Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros at the Universidade de São Paulo (IEB-USP/Instituto Çarê). A former inmate, he is a member of the 1ª Frente de Sobreviventes do Cárcere and creator of the YouTube channel Prisioneiro 84.901, dedicated to critical reflections on incarceration and social reintegration.

Viny Rodrigues holds a master’s degree in Political Science from PUC-SP and a PhD in Social Anthropology from PPGAS-USP. His research focuses on conceptions of race/color, gender, and social class among young people from urban peripheries. He is a cultural producer and cofounder of Coletivo Sistema Negro (2014–2018). Rodrigues has worked with diversity and inclusion at various educational, cultural, and museum institutions such as Itaú Cultural, Instituto Tomie Ohtake, MASP, SESC, and SENAC. He is currently a professor at the Fundação Escola de Sociologia e Política de São Paulo (FESPSP).

Vilanismo (founded in 2021, São Paulo) is a collective of twelve Black men dedicated to creating spaces of resistance and affirmation within the art circuit. The group values ancestral knowledge, Afro-Indigenous experiences, and collective creation, prioritizing autonomy and sustainable practices. In their actions, they reject stereotypes and historical fetishes imposed on Black bodies, subverting normative expectations and celebrating cultural abundance. Vilanismo has participated in events such as Baile do Vilanismo (Edifício Misericórdia, São Paulo) and the conversation-performance Black Masculinities (Instituto Moreira Salles, São Paulo). Current members include Diego Crux, Ramo, Renan Teles, Carinhoso, Guto Oca, Rodrigo Zaim, Rafa Black, Robson Marques, Denis Moreira, and Daniel Ramos.

This participation is supported by The Order of New Arts.

Service
Talk – Vilanismo – 27 years defying the statistics? – From 111 to 121: a critical review of Brazilian-style injustices and the need to organize anger strategically
36th Bienal de São Paulo – Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice
Nov 8, 2025
Sat, 2 pm
Vilanismo space, 2nd floor
Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion
Ibirapuera Park, Gate 3
Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, s/n
São Paulo, Brazil
free admission