HIGHWAY TO POA
The Museo Dos Direitos Humanos Do Mercosul offers Porto Alegre’s inhabitants and tourists the opportunity to discover the « canary-yellow jersey » through an exhibition that unites artists from different backgrounds but still complementary.
Nina Raynaud
Porto Alegre. July, 10th of 2014.
In one of the semi-opened rooms in the back of the museum, behind a opaque curtains, a movie ordered and realised by the FIFA gives deteails of the history of the yellow jersey, through the story of the man that conceived it. The movie affirms the importance of the jersey which is considered as a national symbol and which is « sometimes even bigger than the brazilian flag itself » according to its creator.
"The Beautiful Game : O Reino da Camisa Canarinho", an exhibition that comes along at just the right time
And indeed, a all symbolism exist behind this jersey worn for the first time during a World Cup won by Brazil. The commitment of artists is a testimony to that. The diversity of the work looks like the richness of Brazilian culture. The religion is often represented as an intrinsic element in football, with the painting of Fernando Baril for example.
For André Petry it seems football is getting closer to the field of Philosophy as the footballer in the photogrpah looks like a Penseur of Rodin.
Each artist brings his/her point of view on this national sport and this particular exhibition of the official jersey is an idyllic occassion.
An exhibition both informative and artistic at the same time which lets everybody speak out on a subject that has for a long time crossed accross the borders of the stadium.
Or with the photography of Gilberto Perin with this God’s name tatooed on a humid back, in a prison-like shower. Violence, another intrinsic element of football.
The museum of the Human Rights of the Mercosur is housed inside one of the magnificent buildings that surrounds the praça de Alfândega. The entrance to the building is accessible from the park supposedly inspired by French gardens even if the presence of palm trees is hardly evocative. Once the imposing stairs are crossed tourists will be surprised to discover that nobody is sitting behind the reception desk, only some brochures, all written in Portuguese.
The door is not even closed, the entrance is free. Only a security guard is standing still in a corner of the huge twisted room which welcomes an exhibition entirely dedicated to the « canary-yellow jersey », the official jersey of the Brazilian football team. These days after the humiliating defeat of the « verdeamarela », the museum is frighteningly empty. The exhibition has been open since the Monday 10th of 2014 and has attracted a lot of people from Porto Alegre since its opening, according to one of the people responsible. Have they all simply had enough of the exhibition or were the semi-finales the breaking point in the relationship between them and their national team ?
