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MEANWHILE IN AMSTERDAM

To be continued…

estatutos do homem
C. Cornell Evers works on a series of images inspired by the work ‘Estatutos do Homem’ (‘Statutes of Man’), written by the Brazilian poet Thiago de Mello in 1964 as a reaction to the repression by the military junta which had seized power in Brazil in that same year. ‘Estatutos do Homem’ is comprised of fourteen articles of which the last one reads: ‘Fica proibido o uso da palavra liberdade, a qual será suprimida dos dicionários e do pântano enganoso das bocas. A partir deste instante a liberdade será algo vivo e transparente como um fogo ou um rio, e a sua morada será sempre o coração do homem.’ English version (translation by Robert Márquez and Trudy Pax): ‘The use of the word freedom is hereby prohibited, and will be struck from every dictionary and from the deceptive mires of the mouth. Henceforth freedom will be something living and transparent like a fire or a river, like a grain of wheat, and its home will always be within the heart of man.’ Spanish version (translation by Pablo Neruda): ‘Queda prohibido el uso de la palabra libertad, la cual será suprimida de los diccionarios y del pantano engañoso de las bocas. A partir de este instante la libertad será algo vivo y transparente, como un fuego o un río, o como la semilla del trigo, y su morada será siempre el corazón del hombre.’

Thiago de Mello (Amazonas, 1926) is the most celebrated poet from the Brazilian Amazon area. During the years of military dictatorship he was arrested and imprisoned. Thiago de Mello has always been a passionate defender of the natural and cultural heritage of the Amazon rainforest: ‘a key ecological reserve for humanity.’

MEANWHILE IN AMSTERDAM: EAST SIDE (THE ONGOING) STORY

MEANWHILE IN AMSTERDAM:
CAPITALISM - YOU DUTCH INVENTED IT (OCCUPY AMSTERDAM)

THERE WILL BE SUNFLOWERS ON EVERY WINDOWSILL
Article III
It is hereby decreed that, from now on,
there will be sunflowers on every windowsill,
that sunflowers have the right
to blossom in the shade;
and that windows will be open all day long
to the green in which hope grows.

Artigo III
Fica decretado que, a partir deste instante,
haverá girassóis em todas as janelas,
que os girassóis terão direito
a abrir-se dentro da sombra;
e que as janelas devem permanecer, o dia inteiro,
abertas para o verde onde cresce a esperança.

Thiago de Mello: Estatutos do Homem