Talk – Vilanismo – I can blow against the wind: aspects and spectrums of Black men in the arts

On October 18, the talk I can blow against the wind: aspects and spectrums of Black men in the arts, organized by Vilanismo with Viny Rodrigues and Zé Mariano, will take place. Diego Crux, from Vilanismo, joins the conversation. The event will be held from 3 pm to 4 pm in the Invocations space, on the second floor.

An exchange of ideas addressing aspects, nuances, and spectral ranges in the poetics and experiences of Black men in their many shades—traversing questions of masculinity, identity, and representation, as well as their limits and reinventions. The conversation also examines regimes of visibility, silences and silencing, and the complex dynamics of mestiçagem (racial mixing) in shaping Black presences and absences. These reflections draw on references, artists, thinkers, and writers from Afro-Brazilian and Afro-diasporic contexts, while also incorporating elements of rap and pagode culture as forms of thought, expression, and world-making.

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 youth from urban peripheries. He is a cultural producer and cofounder of the Coletivo Sistema Negro (2014–2018). He has worked on diversity and inclusion initiatives at various educational, cultural, and museological 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).

Zé Mariano is a poet, essayist, researcher, communicator, and activist in the Black Movement. He was born in São Paulo and grew up in Embu das Artes, learning from the Teatro Popular Solano Trindade. He holds a degree in Literature from the University of São Paulo, where he also completed a master’s in Comparative Studies of Portuguese-Language Literatures, focusing on Afro-Brazilian literature, Blackness, mestiçagem (racial mixing), and masculinities. He also works as an educator and lecturer on ethnic-racial relations in the fields of literature, culture, arts, and society. In 2025, he published his first poetry book, Jazigo, Encruzilhas e Ditos de um Mulato Josué, with Urutau Press.

Vilanismo (founded in 2021, São Paulo) is a collective of twelve Black men creating spaces of resistance and affirmation within the art circuit. They value ancestral knowledge, Afro-Indigenous experiences, and collective construction, prioritizing autonomy and the creation of sustainable practices. Through their actions, they reject historical stereotypes and fetishes imposed on Black bodies, subverting normative expectations and celebrating cultural abundance. The group has participated in events such as Baile do Vilanismo (Edifício Misericórdia, São Paulo) and the conversation-performance “Black Masculinities” (Instituto Moreira Salles, São Paulo). Currently, the collective includes 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 – I can blow against the wind: aspects and spectrums of Black men in the arts
36th Bienal de São Paulo – Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice
October 18, 2025
Saturday, 3 pm
Invocations Space, 2nd Floor
Pavilhão Ciccillo Matarazzo
Parque Ibirapuera, Gate 3
Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, s/n – São Paulo, SP
Free admission