WHERE ARE THEY?

In 2024, Portugal celebrates the 50th anniversary of the liberation from a dark period represented by the dictatorship. In recording this history, we ask ourselves: where were the black LGBTQIA+ people in the Carnation Revolution? If they existed, what their contribution to 25 April? It is therefore undeniable that the official narratives omit the presence of black LGBTQIA+ people in these historical contexts. Of course, their active participation and contribution to the struggle and resistance cannot be underestimated or neglected. For these reasons, with the ‘Where are they?’ project we want to establish a production exercise for a new narrative about 25 April and the fundamental role of these people in the liberation from the dictatorship. In this sense, the project is innovative in the social and artistic fabric from the moment it seeks to produce a biographical archive in order not only to make known who these people are, but also to establish a relevant milestone in the promotion of the values of 25 April, particularly with regard to the decolonisation of historical narratives. The project opts to create an unprecedented discourse by using the production of biographical data as raw material that will be brought to the public through two major devices: one at the level of expography, i.e. the production of a temporary exhibition at the Santa Catarina gallery, a space belonging to the Misericórdia Parish Council, and the production of graphic material with these stories that will be distributed to the public.

How can we imagine a world of revolutions against dictatorships without seeing the black presence in these periods? Colonial ideology has excelled at erasing these people from all sectors of society. When we refer to black LGBTQIA+ people, this erasure is even greater. So ‘Where Are They?’ will benefit Portuguese society as a whole, providing an opportunity to fill a gap created premeditatedly by the colonial system. The project aims to shed light on the presence and actions of black LGBTQIA+ people that culminated in 25 April, thus serving as a kind of proof of life that attests to the extent to which this community exerted influence and played a leading role. When we talk about representativeness, we remember, for example, cases that are connected to the anti-racist struggle as well as the erasure of women who even today continue to fight for equal conditions of access. In this sense, the project aligns itself with April's values when it seeks to promote the decolonisation of thought by developing proposals that aim to democratise access to information of public value by recognising and valuing the presence and contribution of black LGBTQIA+ people at this important historical moment. Likewise, the project aims to create an intergenerational public memory about the experiences that were buried by structural racism and the silencing of fundamental voices that contributed to the conquest of freedom, and thus celebrate them.

The ‘Where Are They?’ project promotes the participation and qualification of communities and audiences in general, based on its commitment to democratising information that we believe is fundamental to promoting the values of freedom. The project dialogues with the theme of restorative justice at the level of artistic practices that have been promoted and financed by international organisations, such as the UN, since the creation of the international decade of Afro-descendants. Based on the artistic practice of using the concept of archive and memory, ‘Cadê Elas?’ aims to mark a symbolic territory of belonging at a historic moment for Portugal, thus promoting greater social equity in terms of representation. The project has a strong artistic and pedagogical component in order to qualify not only communities but also cultural institutions. The project prioritises the production of new discourses in order to raise awareness, educate and value the presence of black LGBTQIA+ people in revolutionary processes. In terms of qualifying audiences, the project will develop a diverse cultural programme covering various fields of artistic activity and research, including audio and video objects, visual arts and literature. In the exhibition proposal, the work aims to include works and other expressions of information that reflect the experiences and contributions of black and LGBTQIA+ communities in the history of the Carnation Revolution.

Cadê Elas? Pessoas Negras LGBTQIA+ e Ditadura Portuguesa» é um dos projetos apoiados pela edição de 2024-25 do programa «Arte pela Democracia», uma iniciativa da Comissão Comemorativa 50 anos 25 de Abril em parceria com a Direção-Geral das Artes. Realização: Coletivo Afrontosas. Financiamento: ENAR, DgArtes – República Portuguesa / Cultura. Parceiros de Comunicação: Buala, Bantumen, Afrolink. Apoio: Museu do Aljube, Goethe-Institut Lisboa, Biblioteca de Belém, Junta de Freguesia da Misericórdia, Associação Zeca Afonso, Buala, Bantumen, Gerador e Damas.