to Bully a Nation

:: SOUND ON :: In “to Bully a Nation”, I begin with a celebration of freedom, expression, and national pride, evoking Brazil’s cultural exuberance and reflecting a liberated self by dancing joyously to the rhythm of a traditional carnival song, resonating with the collective joy Brazilians find in their identity and sovereignty. “Oh make way, for I want to pass!”. This joy is abruptly disrupted when the 𝕏 logo is suddenly painted over my body in violent strokes. Each mark strips away the original colors, until I’m fully engulfed in dark paint. The lively, celebratory spirit is smothered, leaving behind a figure overcome by the forces of suppression and control. This performance draws on recent events in Brazil, where the judicial decision to block 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) sparked debates on sovereignty, freedom, and censorship. The work critiques the ways in which external powers — embodied by Elon Musk’s selective compliance with judicial orders — attempt to impose their will on sovereign nations, dismissing the rule of law when convenient. The black 𝕏 logo, repeated relentlessly, represents the suffocating influence of unchecked corporate power and the hypocrisy of those who claim to champion free speech yet comply with authoritarian regimes when it suits their agenda. Brazil’s young democracy struggles to resist against such forces, despite the nation’s majority standing firm in the defense of the rule of law. This work is a response to that struggle — a visual manifesto that denounces and challenges the erasure of identity, freedom, and self-determination. The piece doesn’t end with oppression, however. In a deliberate act, the video is reversed, suggesting that the removal of 𝕏 from Brazil may actually bring back relief and joy after all — a breath of fresh air for the nation’s mental health. Through this work, I seek to explore the fragile balance between joy and oppression, expression and censorship. As the communal areas of the virtual space, once vibrant and free, become a slate for imposed and manipulative narratives, the audience is invited to reflect on the broader implications of relying on centralized profit-seeking platforms, supposed to uphold freedom to speak and act but constrained to defending their own ideological agenda in a world increasingly shaped by corporate and political interests. Performance Act by Hugo Faz created for Art of This Millennium’s (AOTM) curation “Des/Conectados”, September 2024. 2’ 4K 60fps mp4 video. Concept, Performance and Photography - Hugo Faz Body Art - Paulo Biagioni Video and Sound Editing - Hugo Faz Soundtrack - "Abre Alas" by Chiquinha Gonzaga (public domain)