Edson Barrus

Carnaubeira da Penha, 1962. Lives and works in Recife

In 1999 Edson Barrus started work on a research project to create a new breed of dog. With a background in zootechny, the artist combined his observations on different species with his studies on art and art theory and criticism to draft the framework for his Base central cão mulato [Mulatto Dog Project]. Mongrels appear in many paradigmatic works of Brazilian literature, such as Vidas Secas [Dry Lives] by Graciliano Ramos and Cão sem plumas [Featherless Dog] by João Cabral de Melo Neto, in which there is a clear attempt to turn the mutt into a symbol of the country’s miscegenation. The artist’s main interests are the hybridization of creatures and culture, their convergence, formation, practices and poetics.

For this edition of Frestas, Barrus was invited to join the residencies program in order to plant an Imburana seedling (Commiphora leptophloeos) at the Sorocaba Botanical Gardens. Imburana wood is widely used by artisans in Pernambuco, who sculpt their famous saint statues from it. Currently endangered, the species’ preservation has become an important investment for the Ibimirim Saint-sculptors Association, responsible for planting a hundred thousand Imburana trees. The artist joined the cause and organized a crowdfunding project to buy some land for Imburana reforestation, running against the grain of the town’s recent real-estate boom. As with Base…, the project is effectively a work of socio-environmental sculpture in the sense of something that rallies people behind a real intervention.

In addition to inviting the Triennial’s visitors to peruse the Botanical Gardens, Barrus’ participation also includes a documental exhibition on his experiences with management and agriculture in Sorocaba and Ibimirim, Pernambuco. The installation includes videos and archeological fragments from the ranch in Ibimirim.

[U.C.]