Abstract
This talk explores the rising prominence of Indigenous art in Brazil through two interconnected events: the historic all-Indigenous curation of Brazil's pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale and the return of a 17th-century Tupinambá feathered mantle from Denmark to Brazil. I trace how Indigenous artists and curators have strategically used artistic platforms to advance political struggles for recognition, land rights, and cultural reclamation. By examining the evolution of Indigenous representation at major art institutions like the São Paulo and Venice Biennials, the presentation highlights both significant breakthroughs and persistent tensions in the institutional framing of Indigenous art. The talk contextualizes these developments within Brazil's demographic diversity (300+ Indigenous groups) and recent political history, including watershed moments like Ailton Krenak's 1988 constitutional protest and Denilson Baniwa's 2018 "Pajé-Onça" performance that challenged institutional exclusion. While acknowledging increased visibility, I identify ongoing paradoxes in how Indigenous art is recognized, represented, and sometimes co-opted by art institutions, even as Indigenous artists themselves increasingly shape curatorial practices and exhibition frameworks.