calligraphy, whose enervation, in writing, might identi$z Bispo do Ros{rio's

traces through digital precision. When Flugo Dcnizart introduced trValter Firmo
to Bispo do Rosdrio, Ros6rio led the photography sessionand indicated how it
should be done: he insisted his shadow should be phoiographed. An author mlst
be a shadow when lacing his objects. Among other images Ros6rio asked Firmo
to include scenesofl personal objects in use. In one photograph he is wearing his
cape; in another, hc simulates he is asleep on the bed that was prepared fbr him to
sleep with Rosangela Maria, his Platonic love. Conceptual consistencyand project
form lead to the formal identification of things as created by Bispo do Rosdrio, It
might be possible, or necessa-rytto suppresshis history - as that of any atist - so
that crystalline emergcncy of visual langr-lageis sponsorcd. Thosc would be quite
favourable conditions for the phenomenological excrcise of guiding our eyeson the
work by Bispo do Rosdrio.

The absence of authorship may be recurent to Roland Barthes in his lapidary

artide "La mort de l'a:.ttcur" (1968)6.Barthes observed that the idea of an "author"
is a modern invention from the Middle Ages. In the opposite direction, Joseph
Beuys attempts to neutralise modernily's excessiveauthorship by proclaiming that
"Jeda'mannisteinKinstlzf' (every man is an artist). I'herc is a tyrannical centralisation
on the notion of authorship and its history in contcmporary culture, Beuthcs adds.
He illustrates with Vincent Van Gogh's madness and Piotr Iliich Tchaikovsky's
adcliction. The work is pursued by whower cleates it, by the author who expresscs
his/her confidence, Barthes goes on to say. That has prevailed in Brazilian Art
History as well, parr:icularly in critical discussionson Bispo do Rosdrio and his role.
Some refuse to recognisc his work as having any artistic validity. Barthes cvokcsthe
argument by St6phane Mallarrn6, who saw the need to replace the author with
language, "fhercfore, language replaces its proprictor, Mallarm6's poetics, Barthes
adds, "suppressesthe author to priviiege writing" it.his may at times be the rig'ht
approach to get to know Arthur Bispo do Rosdrio's Project, aswell as to understand
its meaning. One needs, then, to be attentive tb the scenesin Bispo do Ros6rio, a
space that is analogous to the "text $cene" Barthes addressesT,since in his view
there was not such a thing as the "death of the author" but rather the permanent
processof violent annihilation of beings.

Thxononry "I adorned myliving room with moulds of Florentine statues.It was an extraordinary
source for my energies.I am thinldng about getting rich so I can have other trips
such as this", wrote Sigmund Freud to Wilhelm Fiiess on December 6, 1896.

Some artists have developed extensive taxonomic systemsthat had accumulation of

ob.jcctsas one of its stages.Such operative process' many a time seductive or critical, :'
includes lists of objects, collections, and museums for every and all things. Some i
theoreticians try to evidence thc failure of exccssive taxonomy EnLightenmenr
as the strateg-yto control thc world through ordainment. Eniightenment would
sponsor a matrix that flows into tgth century Positivism, of which Freud would,
in the view of some historians, be a part of in some way or another. Arthur Bispo
do Rosdrio filled his living room with hundreds of objcas hc created along four
decades. It was an extraordinary sorlrce of re-energisation for him, just as the
Florentine reproductions had been for Freud. Bispo do Rosdrio was a constant
creator of new works. In the sensorial realm, Ros6rio knew something Freud had
not expcrimcnted: art making. This first Freud collector seemed to be contenteo
with the non-authentic, the copy.

142
 do Ros6rio com precisio datilosc6pica. Qpando Hugo Denizartlevou Walter
ih para conhecer Bispo do Ros6rio, este dirigiu a scssio fotogrdlica indicando
no'deve.i. ser {btografado. Bispo do Ros6rio insittiu para que sefotografassesua
fibra. O autor deve, frente a seus objetorr:3er sombra. Entre as outras imagens
e,iotirlro,, a Firmo, estEoas cenas de usir dos objetos pessoais.Numa fotogralla
V-art"rou capae noutra simulasonono leitcip#parado para dormir com Rosan-
AMulLu,sfu amor platdnico.A identificagEovilual da obra de Bispodo Rosdrio
ii,d" o*r id6ia de costurae construgdod.o'mupdo.6 a consist6nciaconceituaLl
L i: , .1
,.F. +.
a r I : , f_ j r _ -
forma do projeto que permitem a identificaqdo formal das coisas como feitas
Bispodo Ros6rio.Podeserpossivelou neiess6riosuprimir suahistoria- comq
a de qualquer artista para que se propicie a emcr$8ncia cristalina da
"iii -r.r"t, visual. Bssastarnb6m seriam condiE6esmuito propicias pala o exercicro
nguag.m
iiiomenoi6gico do olhar sobre a artc de Bispo do Rosario.
:iiifi:i
?,tprop6sito desta austncia de posseautoral da obra, pode-se lembrar Roland Bar-
iet, qlr" observou, em seu artigo lapidar "La mort de I'autetrr" (1968);6 que a
ia de 'oautor" 6 urna invcnEdo moderna surgida no final da ldade M6dia' Na
ntramarcha, Joseph Beuys brisca neutralizar o exces$oautoral da modernidade
isteinlfrinstlef' (todo mundo 6 um artista),Na cuitura
ffi pro"lom*r que"Jeda-mann
temporinea, continua Barthes, h6 urrr centramento tirinico na iddia de autor e
tUa hist6ria, Ele excmplifica com os casosde Vincent Van Gogh e sua loucuta ou
liotr Iliich Tchaikovsky e seu vicio. A obra 6 buscada a partir de quem a produz,
autor que emite sua confid8ncia, diz Barthes. Isso lem prevalecido tamb6m na
iil,ii*st6riada Arte brasiieira e, em particulag nas discussdescriticas sobre o significa-
ilrdode Bispo do Rosirio. Hd os que negamconceitualmentcvalidadeartisticaiLsua
bbra.Barthesevocao argumenlo de StdpharreMallarrn6, que via a necessidade
substituiro autorpelapr6prial{ngua,Assim,a linguasubstituiseupruprietfuio,
po€ticadeMa11arm6, emsuprimiro autorembene{icio
dizBarthcs,"con$iste
iilida escritura".Es$a6 uma posturapor vezesnecesseriaao conhecimentodo projeto
lififu Artn tr Bispo do Rosirio e ao entendimentocleseusignificado.E preciso,pois,
fii;observar a ccna da obra de Bispo do Ros6rio, espagoanflogo i "cena do texto" de
:liiqo" ,t",r Barthes,? pois para ele nd,o havia a questZ,ada "morte do autor", mas o
iipermanenteprocessode um violentadoranulamentodo ser.

ili,::
iljr a rb
ri:, &ll &oorner ffinna sala com moldagcns de estdtuasflorentinas. Foi uma extraordi- Taxomonrias
ii nitia fonte de revigoramcntopara mim. Estoupensandoem ficar rico para poder
;1repetir estasviagens",escreveuEigmund Freud a Wilhelm Fliess,ern 6 de dezem-
, bro de 1896.

Aiguns artistas desenvolveram extensos sistemas taxondmicos que passaram pela

acumulagd,o de objetos, Esss modo operativo, freqtientemente sedutar ou critico'
inclui listas de objetos, cole$6es e museu$ de fudo. Alguns te6ricos buscam evi'
denciar uma {bl6ncia do Ilurninismo das taxonomias exccssivascomo estrat6gia de
controle do mundo pelo ordenamento. O Iluminismo traria uma matriz que de-
sernboca no Positivismo do s6culo XD(, do qual Freud, de certo modo, faria parte,
segundo certos historiadores. Arthur Bispo do Rosdrio encheu sua sala com cen-
tenas de objetos que fez clurante quatro d6cadas, Foi uma extraordiniria fonte de
revigoramento para ele, como as reprodug6es florentinas haviam sido para Freud'
Bispo do Ros6rio cra um incessante criador de obra nova. No mundo sensoia.lJ
Bispo do Rosirio sabia aJgoque Freud nlo havia experimentado: o ato de fazer arte,
Bsseprimeiro Freud colecionador parecia se contentar com o inautdntico, a c6pia.
 (i991-96)
Along critical colleclion iincage, Susan Hiller's From The FreudMuseurn
the London Freud lVluseum, with
ref'crs to the sholvcase-installation created for
catalogr"red
boxes containing objects, texts, imagcs or videos, all properly identified
- materials and personal objects that have bcen silenced by the muscum' In }filler's
historic repression, as
view anthropologic museums are venues of cultural and
,,psychic, cthnic, sexual, and political disorders"s. That is his ethical taxonomy:
repression pervc'rse
accumulation chaos is exposed through that classification of
follow the logic of '
methods. Such taxonomies conform totalisation systems that
worked on lists' "To remember is
accumuladon poetics exclusivcly.Louise Bourgeois
to be alive", were her words, Claes C)ldenburg had something aboutreconstructinq
-- matcrial' Bispo
the world of soft things made r:f plastic the eminentiy industrial
do Ros6rio *pparen1fit left incomplete his personal world museum as a territory o[
individuation

Hc wrote
Along decades, Jorge Luis Sorges organiscd inlinite data collections.
Seres Imaginfuios (t-he
Bibtiiteca deBabel.and synthcsised it all to Aleph. O Liuro dos
in Poe's and
Book ol. Imaginary Being$ lists the swedensprg angels: the animals
in addition to shadow
Kafka's dreams, metaphysical animals and mirror animals,
Bispo
dcvourcrs, thermal beings, and the hird that trrings rain. In his delirium,
things that would compcte
do Rosirio seemed not to admit imaginary beings or
is unlimited,
against his own visions of his placc in thc world. If the Bibkoteca
endless rvhile organising thc orders
Borg", cleveloped a taxonomy that seemed
Musett (Museutn),
of things: O Liura do Cau e d.ohtferno (fhe llnak of Heauenand Hell),
other points' In
and one Atlas.TheAleph is one point in space that contains all
dimension gf
his Museu,thanks to science rigour, the map had the uselcss,prccise
the territory itself'

Pageant
Arobustpointof inflexion of Rosdrio'sworh andPop Artwas Miss lJniverse
and Adalgisa
and the three leg^enclaryMisscs: Marta Rocha, Terezinha 1\{orango,
influence areas
colombo. During the cold war, beauty pageants wcre turncd into
Pan-American Games,
for the United States,just as international exhi.bitions, the
to Lhe
and some muscums arrd bicorrials. Beauty Pageants were later incorporatcd
of mass melancholy' Bispo do
paintings ol' Rubem Gerchman and his cliscoursc
Rosdrio's Misses sashesmust be scen as at least parallel to Gerchman's paintings,
set of 61 full
since by latc 1960's thosc pageants started cleclining stecply The
(pages
sashes(added to another 16 under study) confolms an Atlas. Each "sash"
of rivers, cities, streets,
275-279) contains geopolitical information such as name$
is a
and neighbourhoods. The notion of universal in the work of Bispo do Ros6rio
Pop Geography undergoing a process of local contextualisation'

In contrast with Borgcs' crudition, Claes Oldenburg created a deliberately

Mttseum,,
pedestrian, Pop taxonomy to valuc banality. IH1isMusett do Rato (Aflouse
iOAS-1SZZ;is a collection of 385 objects flom daily popular culture he assemblcd'
The
Oldenburg worked on somc objects he found and created quite many others'
the
museum is located in a Mickey Mouse-shaped containe5 and puts togcther
for
prefercnces of orclinary men. Oldcnburg's discoursc does nrrt involve the search
perspective o[
the understanding of the ontological statute of an object, or for the
of
western Art History as did Ferrcira Gullar's inhls Tiatia do Ndt-Objeto('I'hcory
at 107 E'
the Non-Object) (1960), 1l'he artist mounted his store-exhibition (The Storc,
shocs'
2nd Street), with quite a numbcr of iterns for salc: candies, envelopes' termis
clothes, etc. - evcrJ4hing in painted plaster. Those objects, Oldenburg explained'
of tim.e
were turncd into a "diary of all the things I was interestcd in for a period
records
at Lower East Side"e. The objccts created by Bispo do Ros6rio are alscl

l.t4
 i.linhagem do colecionismo critico, a obra Fram TlzeFratd Musntn (1991-96) de
:::.::1

usanHiller se retbre d vitrine-instalaqlo criada para o Freud Museum, em Lon-

com caixas que cont6m obietos, tcxtos, imagens ou videos, devidamente idcn-
c catalogados - os matcriais e objetos pcssoa"isquc foram silenciados pela
ri,:l:lt. 12 '
,initituiEio museol6grca. Para llille4 clsmuseus antrcrpol6gicossio espaEosde recal-
lit:i:!i:.'
$ne cultural e hist6rico c<lmo "perturbaEdes psiquicas, 6tnicas, sexuaise politicas".B
da6 sua taxonomia 6tica: o caos do acrimulo € exposto por esta classificag5odos
,iliUoaospelversos de'recalcar, Tais taxonomias confbrmam sistemasde totalizagio
ffi" r"go"* exclusivamente a l6gica de uma po6tica da acumulagdo. Louise Bour-
ii$bois preparava listas. "Lembrar-se 6 estar viva", diz ela. Claes Oldcnburg tinha
Hgo de reconsttrrir o mundo das coisasmoles em plAstico, o material emincntcmen-
iilte industrial. Bispo do Rosdrio deixou aparenlernmte
incompleto seumuseupessoal
ltlitlomundo como territ6rio da individuaEdo.

1Ao longo de d€cadas,Jorge Luis Borges organizou levantamentos infinitos. Escre-

de Babel e sintetizou tudo ao AkPh. O L;iurodos Seres
i.veu Bibli.ateca Intaginf io.relenca
itilos anjos de Swedenborganimais sonhaclospor Poe e I(aJka, animaisrnctafisicos
iiii':e animais dos espelhos, al6m do devorador das sombras, dos seres t6rrrricos e do
;ji!:pesato quc causachuvas.Em seu dclirio, Bispo do Ros6rioparecia n[o admitir
ii,l, t*t t ou coisasimaginirias quc compcti$scmcom sua pr6pria visflo de seulugar
ii;,no mundo. Se a Bibliotcca 6 ilimitada, Borges dcscnvolvcu uma taxonomia que
ii,: parecia sem fim na organizzgXo de ordens de coisas: O Lhn'odo Ciu e do lqlirno, o
lV[useue um Atks. O Aleph 6 um dos pontris no espaqo clue cont6m todos os pontos.
1,,'
. Bm seu tVfuseu,gragas ao rigor da ci€ncia, o mapa tinha a irrutil e exata dimensfr,o
do pr6prio territ6rio.

Um vigorosopontodeinflexHoda obradc Bispodo Ros6rioeom* artePoperam

ii, osconcuisos Brasillendirias:MartaRocha,Tere-
de MissUniversoc astrOsmisnqs
zinhafuIorango
c Adalgisa I{a Guerrn}lria,osconcursos
Colombr:, demise$etor.
nararnespagCI
deinfluBnsia
dosEstados
Unidos,
assim comoasgrande$exposi$des
internacionais,os jogos pan-arnericanos,algunsmuseuse bienais,Os concursos
Ibram mais tarde incorporadosi pintura de Rubem Gerchmer^n e scu discursoda
melancoliadasmassas.As faixasclemissesde Bispo do Rosdrio devemscr,no mi-
nimo, paralelasis pinturas de Gerchman,jh queno final dosanos60 osconcursos
entraram cm vertiginosodeclinio, O conjunto de 6l lbixas completas(maiscerca
dc 16 em cstudo)conforma um Atlas. Cada "lbixa de miss" (p6ginas278-279)con-
tdrn informaE6esgeopcliticascomo nomesde rios, cidades,ruas e bairros.A id6ia
do universalem lSispodo Ros6rio6 uma Gcogra{iaPop,quepassaporumprocesso
de contextualizaE&o do local,

No opostoda crucliE[ocleBorg*cs, ClaesOldenburg criou uma taxonomiaPop de-

liberadamentcpcdcstrcdc valorizaEdodo banal. SsutwuseudoRato(Mouse Museu,m,
1965-1977)6 um accrvo de 385 objetosda cultura popular cotidianaque foram
reunidospor clc. Oldcnburg traba-lhousobrc algunsobjctoscncontradose criou
tantos outros.O muscu cst6instaladonum containerna forma dc Mickey Mouse.
Ele rerine o gosto do homem ordindrio. Nio h6 no discursode Oldenburg uma
buscade entendimentodo estatrrtoontol6gicode um objeto ou suabuscade com-
preensflona perspcctivada Hist6ria da Arte ocidental,comofizera IrerrciraGullar
na TeorindoNdo-Objeto (1960).O artista montoll sua exposigfr.o-Ioja
(The Store,
na
i07 E. 2nd Street),onde havia de tudo i venda;doces,em,elopes, t0nis,roupasetc.
- tudo leito em gessopintado. .Essesobjetos,segundoOldenburg se constituiriam
num "didrio de todas as coisasque me interessaramdurante rrm certo pcriodo de
tempono Lower EastSidc".eOs objctosconstruidos por Bispodo Rosirio tamb6rn
 of a journey: "The material found on the land of men"r0 and the records of their
passageon Earth, as those of Oldenburg resulted liom his wandering in a New
York City neighbourhood. Oidenburg's store inventory is almost a grocery list,
where memory is summoned lor a practica-ltask.

Some artists operatc on the idea of a museum as accumuiation, as the place for
keeps402 anotrymous portraits. In Brazil, one of
much. Boltanski's,4ryuiao(Archiue)
EmiI Forman's installation (1975, MAM/i{j,1._was named "person museum".rt $11
this mirror of Narcissus, 2,500 photographs of Antonieta Cldlia Raagel Forman
are exhibited. They are photographs taken along her whole life' Oldenburg's
Mawe Musanm,in its turn, asscmbled 385 objects. It was too much for one mouse.
Ililler's R'om The FreudMweum exhibits showcaseswith 50 boxes containing many
objects in each of them. Ililler's concept programme converges to the problem
of museological cannibalism as addressed by Donald Preziosi in Tlw Art of Art
Histary(1998). The institution would bc the devourer of the objects it shelters, thus
annihilating their symboiic function, As for institutional criticism, Susan }Liller's
muselrm is the venue for social repressionl Christian Boltanski's archive, a territory
of denied mourning.

Bispo do Ros6rio left approximately 850 pieces in his room. He defended

his monument by keeping it politically marginal to any sort of museological
apprupriation of the same genre as the pcrversc "disordcrs" dcnounced by Hillcr.
I{hilc living Biqpo do Ros6rio kept his objects from being turned into a "phantom
of moderniry". In Hlizabeth Gama.rd'sview, the corpuso{ Arthur Bispo do Rosdrio'
oeuvre, as A Catedrulda Mitiriq Erdtica (fhe Cathedralof Erotic Misery), by Ifurt
Schwitters, are the tpeculaof their daily life and the SummaTheologicafor their art
exoerience.

Totalisatioms fn art, the notion of totalisation has been historically present in some concepts,
such as in theproduction of Wunda'habinett, orin RichardlVagner's Gesamtlwn.rtttsu'lw,
in Kurt Schwitters' Mer4 in H6lio Oiticic*s Ntnho or Louise Bourgeois' Cela(Cell).
Towards a di{ferent direction,Joaquin Torres-Garcia dcveloped the perspective of
a synthesisof symbolic visual discourse as representative of man's cultural diversity
and the notion of the "tradition of the abstract man".

f{ormologleAmatoEm}r The most important description in public records only shows 13 words to describe
the 35 years of activities by Bispo do Ros6rior2. Ooly hvo crucial words were his:
"I came". There is mourning in museological accumulation and in the logic of
Christian
archives.JacquesDerrida describesfile cabinets as diseases- mal d'archiue.
Boltanski's Arcfuiuer(1987) address that condition by accumulating 402 imprecise
porffaits illuminated by gloomy electric buibs. The portraits a;re in museums'
partition doors, and have been euphemistically called by museology as "technical
reserve". In Boltanski's view, those faces say nothing about their destiny or the
life they have had led. There is no justification for people to be together in those
Archines.Inan etiologic Boltanski, they have to wait "until someone can give thcm a
name again", Both the philosopher and the artist are thini<ing about ihe radical evil
tle archive represents.In Brazil, Arthur Bispo do Rosirio and Rosingeia Rcnn6
aggregate other sensesto the archive. Rcnn6 operates photography crisis as lhe
social production of foreetfulness. Languagc historicity through photographic.
 o reglstro de umajornada: "€ material existente na terra dos homens"l0 e eram
de sua passagempela Terra, assim como os de Oldenburg resultaram
'll$egirttot naquele bairro de Ncrya York. O estoque da loja O.ldenburg-6
iAirrro _de
^t"rrlut-tga
udre uma lista de compras de um rnercado em que a mem6ria 6 convocada
"o*o
:riii-uma tarefa p r6tica,
:i :;

artistas operam aid€ia de muscu como actimulo, como lugar do muito. O

de Boltanski guarda 402 retratos de andnirnos, No Brasil, uma instalagf,o
ii1UZ5,MAM/R]D de Emil Forman6 um "museuda pessoa".rr Nesteespelhode
itfiarcisose exibem 2.500 fotogra.fias
de Antonieta Cl6lia Rangel Forman, que s6o
iiiOaoros relratos dela tirados durante suavida.JA o MouseMussumde Oidenburg
.rfeunju 385 objetos. Era muito para um rato. Frvm The Feud Museum,de Hiller, s5.o
ii vitrines quc cont8m 50 caixas, que por sua vez guardam muitos objetos cada' O
l:i:i:;trt !. r 1,r-,--- ,r-
!jl$iog.u** conceitode Hiller convergepara o protrlemado canibalismo---,-^^^ra museol6-
-----il^ri--^--

litgico dc que trata Donald ernThe

Preziosi ail of art hirtorj {1998). A instituigio sena
i:liiilji r 1 r ! i r-rri-- \T--1^-- J-
iidevoradora de seusobjctos, aniquilando sua funE5.o
- simb6lica. No plano da critica
--l-:,^

lffistitucional, o museude Susan.Ililler6 o cspagode recalquesociale o arquivodc

iilfthristian Boltanski 6 um territorio do luto negado.

;liiBispo do Rosdrio deixou cerca dc 850 obras guardadas cm seu quarto. Defendeu
ir,t-seumonumento mantendo.o politicamente marginal a qua^lquertipo de apropria-
ili.gao museol6gicado g€nerodas "perturbagdes"perversasdenunciadaspor Hiller,
il',Bm vida, Bispo do Rosario impediu que scusobjetos se constituisscmcm "fan-
i.u'tasmasda modernidade". O corpus da obra de Arthur Bispo do Ros6rio,comoI
ii:,: daMistria Erdtica,de Kurt Schwittcrs,na acepE[ode Blizabeth Gamard, se
Catedral
desuavidadidriac emMrnma
constituiuexnrpatulfr 4esuavivgnciaemarte.
thaol,ogl.ta

Historicamenteno campo artistico, a iddia dc totzLlizagdoestiverapresenteem TotalEzag6es

algrns conceitoscorrroa montagem do Wundakabinett, ou na pr6tica artisticado
Gesamtkunshperlce
de Richard Wagner, na MerZ de Kurt Schwitters, no Ninh,o
de H6lio Oiticica ou na Celad,eLouise Bourgeois,Em outra diregdo,Joaquin
Torres-Garciadesenvolveuuma peffipectivade sintesedo discursovisuai simb6-
lico, representativoda diversidadecultural do homem, com a id€ia da "tradigdo
do homem abstrato".

Em sua principal inscriEdo em prontudrio priblico, apenas.lS palavras descrwcm AnatOrnia Slomol6glca
os 35 anos de atividades de Bispo do Ros6rio.r2 Dele mesmo, h6 duas palavras
essenciais:"Eu virn." Hi algo de enlutado na acumulagdo museol6gica e na l6gica
dos arquivos.Jacques Derrida rlescreve os arquivos como doenga- o mal d'w'chiae.
OsArchiues(lgSi) de Christian Boltanski tratam dessadoenEa, ao acumularern 402
retratos imprecisos iluminados com limpadas cl6tricas modorrentas. Os retratos
esteo em train6is de dep6sito dc museus, eulbmisticamente denominados pela mu-
seologia como "reservas t€cnicas". Para Boltanski, estesrostos nada dizem de seu
destino e da vida que {iveram. Nada justifica quc a$ FessoasdessesAtthbes estejam
juntas. Para um Boltanski etiol6gico, elas agrtardam "atd que algu6m possathcs dar
um nome de novo". O fil6sofo e o artista pensam no mal radical do arquivo. No
Brasil, Arthur Bispo do Rosirio e Rosingela Rcnn6 agregam outros sentidos ao
arquivo. Renn6 opera a crise da fotografia corrro produEio social de csquecimcnto'
A historicidade da linguagcm ahav6s de corpos fotogrificos se fhz cntre sil€ncio,
 bodies happens between silence, death, transparencics and mirrors. Bispo do
Rosdrio pfoduces archives under opposite motivation. 'I'hey ra'illbe off the memory
techoicJ sphere that has been socially institutionalized. He names those faces,
which Boltanski does not - "I have come to name". Basicaliy nothing is known
about Bispo do Rosfrio's lifc - in addition to his namc. He lelt few portraits, so
contrasting to the 2,500 portraits of Antonieta Cl6lia Rangel }irrman exhibited
at Emil Forman's installation. Such excesshas blinded the face. Excess turns the
eyes to opacity "I came". To come, for human beings, is to be launched into
subjectivation. 'fhe cultural evil submitted to Bispo do Rosario was cxacdy thc lack
of archives. That silence was not lrom the philosophy of the unspeakablc, neither
was it placed in the social sphere of the unmenfionable. This being was in a state
of abandonment.

The name - and Bispo do Rosdrio secrned to have understood this very clearly
- makes a bcing In A Prcsa do Munda (TVorld h'ose), IVIaurice Merleau-Ponty
argucs that individuals are to be constituted by their pcrsoual name]3. Thc artist
constituted hirnself' as Arthur Bispo do Rosirio and was constituted by that name'
I came as Bispo do RosArio. While commenting on Merleau-Ponty's arguments,
Claude Lefort adds that before Lacanian mirror phase, when a child's colpoleal
unity is revealed) the encounter with a name that defines the beginning of a new
rclationship of othernessalready existsra.As the child in Merlcau-Ponty, Lacan, and
Lefort, Bispo do Rosirio was caplured by his name; his dcterminant, irrevcrsible
identity sign was consecrated on l)ecemher22, 1938, and is inscribed on a banner:
I NeedThi: I,VardsIn lfiting (page I I 5). On the banneq the maile figurc portrayed has
anamei Cloves. Bispo do Rosdrio cmbroiders information on the being: "oz thecltest
an eaghand a namd'. Cloves was a docto4 and his vernacular analomy includes Do@'
and soul.Bispo do Ros6rio symptomatically performs a political surgery when using
the figure of a doctor to describe the structure ol' the human body, its Jibido, its
mortaliq, its functions: "brains,steamurgthrcaf,,sexualorgans/ slam and lresnne lua't
/ btoadin theaeiw". That banncr defleshc.sthe body through embroidercd langr-ragc.
Tlre tcxt is thc anatomyr5.Thc throat .lcreamt,butBispo do Ros6rio embroiders. Hc
believesin the power of r,r'riting.

Altcrity rclationships are built from the ver.y name of the artist. Bishop of whose
Rosary? A Bishop (Bispo) is the dignitary who rrns a territory a diocese. Another
banner shows thc embroidering with the name of thosc who recognised the son
of the man. That may cxplain why Bispo do Roslrio created a hat with mirrors
accumulated under thc rim. So, the mirrors will be over the head,that is, above
the b6ins,or more prccisely, at the top of the individual whose drawing is on the
banneq where Bispo do Ros6rio embroiders bad2,vul and c,irculation of humanbod2
anatomically describcd. That is to say,the mirror hat - the basis for the individual
revelation of corporcal unity - will be close to a central place lbr the undcrstanding
of human beings. While being worn, the hat is a game of alterities, capturing the
Others. The hat is one of the very rare objects by Bispo do Ros6rio that bcars
mirrors. A paradoxical Narcissus without a mirror. Rosdrio's work contains very
little about himse$ except for the repetition of his irreversible identity and his
mission. "I cameo'- was his persisting existential certainty.

On tlre banner r,vhereRos6rio ernbroid ercd.INsed.This lVoil^sIn tLi1ing,he added, on

the right "A propa notmC'.A loop is forrned with nouns that mirror beings through
words. A list of four proper nouns of people and placcs - all starting with "a",
include Aracaju (capital city of his birth state) and Arthur (Bispo do Ros6rio's first
name). Opposite to his first name, Arthur needs is followed by dozens of words that

r48
 ir,fiott", transpar6nciase espeihos.Bispodo Rosfrio produz a;rquivossobmotivaEdo
ili[oottu, Elesestardofora da esfcrat€cnicada mem6ria socialmenteinstitucionali-
.',1j,.:4,
,jiada. Ete aporta nome, algo que falta aos rostos de Boltanski -" "eu vim para dar
-

nfio-*". O que sesabedavida de Sispc do Rosdrio,a16mdo nome,€ absolutamente

ii',.q.,*. nada. Ele dcixou poucos retratos, um contrastc com os 2.500 de Antonieta
ilriiCtefuRangcl Forman exibidosna instaiag6ode Emil Forman. Esseexcessocegou
iiiArosto.O muito cria o olhar opaco."Eu vim." Vi4 p;ua o ser,6lanEar-scem sub-
i"jetivaqdo. O mai cultural sofrido por Bispo de Ros6rio foi justamcnte a aus€ncia
i',ide Tal silOncionXo era do campofi1os6ficodo indizivel, ncm sesituavana
a:::::r:: -qni"o.:1f I : 4 T n
esfera
^ social do imenciondvel. O ser estava em estado de abandono'
-.-_^-.^r^r^^L^-J^*^

*
O nome - e Bispo do Rosirio parccia ter entendido com muita cJareza constitui
o ser.Eml Pt'osado Munclo,Maurice Merleau-Ponry cogita que os indivlduos sejam
constituidos por seu nome pessoal.ls0 artista fez-se como Arthur Bispo do Rosirio
e foi constituido por estc nome. Euvim como Bispo do Rosario. Em coment6rio aos
a.rgumentosde Merleau-Ponty, Claudc Lefort agrega que) antes da fase do espelho
lacaniana, na qual a crialrrgadescobre sua unidade corporal, existe o encontro com
o nome que determina o inicio de uma nova rclagfio de alteridade,la Como a crian-
ga dc Merleau-Ponty, Lacan e Lcfort, Bispo do Rosirio foi capturado por seu nome;
seu signo determinante e irreversivel de identidade.foi sagrado a 22 de de&tnbrode
193B e est6 dito num estand artt: Eu PrccisaDestasPalaurasEscrita (p6gina 1 15). No
estandarte, a figura masculina retratada tem um nome Cloves. Bispo do Ros6rio
borda uma informagio $obre o ser "ftolteitl h'aadguiae flntne".Cloves era mddico c
sua anatomiavernacular tffn 60?P0 c alrna.Sintomaticamente, Biqpo do Rosirio faz
uma operaEio poJitica ao tomar a figirra de um m6dico para descrever a cstrutura
do organismo humano, sua libido, mortalidade c funcionamento do corpo: "mialos,
#t$Jai"s/ tsltwmae ffirerfladafircnfia / o wgua nar adas", frste
gi,tai mombros
&dt'&aztta
estandartedescarnao corpo atravdsda lingua bordada. O texto 6 a anatomia.l5A
gargantagrita,mas Bispo do Rosdrioborda. Ele crd na {brEada escrihrra-

Relagdescle alteridadesilo montadasa parLir do pr5prio nome do artista.Bispo

do Ros6riode quem?Um bispo 6 o dignatdrioque dirige um territ6rio, a diocese.
Est6.bordado num outro estandarteo nome daquelesque reconheceramo filho do
homem. Ta)vezpor issoBispo do Rosdrio tenha produzido um chap6ucom acu-
mulaglo de cspclhossob a aba.Assim,os espelhospoderfio estarsobrea cabega,isto
6, acima dosmiolos,ou mais precisamentejunto ao topo do individuo dcsenhado
no estandafie,ond.eBispo do Rosdrio borda corpo,ahnae cirrulatdriadocorpahumano,
descritosanatomicamente.Isto 6, o chapdude espclhos- baseda descobertaindivi-
dual da r-rnidadecorporal * estar6perto do centro do lugar do entendimentodo ser.
\tstido, o chapdu6 umjogo de alteridades,captandoos Outros,O chapdu€ um dos
rarissimosobjetosde Bispo do Ros6rio com espelho.E um paradoxalnarcisosem
o espelho.Muito pouco h6 sobresi em suasobras,salvoa repetiglo da data de sua
irreversivelidentidade e sua miss6o."Eu vim" * era suainsistentecertezaexistencial.

No estandarteem que bordou ao centro: Eu h'ecisoDestasPslaaras Esrita,Bispa

do Ros6rio grava }r direita: "Nomespraprin" Fecha-seum circulo de nomes como
espelhamentodo serpela palavra.Abre^scuma Iista de quatro nomespr6prios de
pessoase lugaresiniciadospor a, onde est6oAracaju (capitalde seuEstadonatal)
e Arthr.ir (nome pr6prio de Bispo do Rosirio). Nc espagooposto a seuprenolTre'
Arthur precisadezenasde palavrasiniciadaspela ietra ar entre elas:ancorado,angio-
logi.a,alvo, aparecimento,ameaga,abusa,absoluto,atitudes,arrasar'arrojamento)
aflito, agora.Essa6 a densidadedos nomesiniciadospor a, Nessaregidoda lingua,
aspalavras,mais que as coisas,espelhamo universodo scr e sualetra primeira,
 .+
::i;f
ti.:i
:'i;

riii*
liii;
'.iiii
::it:r
,,i;i
absolute, 'ti
start with an "a". Among them: anchored, angiology, aPpearance, abuse, :..:j

attitude, affiiction (other words stafiing with an "a" in the original vcrsion arc: ::iiii
l:.ii
an "a"'
target, dcvastate, boldness, now). This is thc density of nouns siartins with r'iiil
,:,:il
than object"s,mirror the r-rniverseof a
In this specific language aJea, words, more .::::'i

: iir:,;
being and its first le tter' 'ltti
,:ii
]:,jj
(where it reads
on a large piece of material with embroidering by Bi.spodo Rosario ;lirl

do not lollow
Dictionaryof Namu* I*tta'A- 4(page 1i6), nzrmesstartingwith al"a" ..rl
.l::ii
to hisfellow countrymen'
alphabetical ord,erand inciudc refbrencesto his homeland,
:;iiii
, i:i:i
- 'iii
Iighters, neighbours, and doctors: 'Algusto dos $antos Japaratuba '!ill

-ititrry, Sergipc Municipality", 'Arthur Rosa - used to do nech bleeding on killer

Mission, ',:::i
,Am6rico Elci -. Businesmen, Aracaju, lived close to the.]ockey ;r:,:
ox, Aracaju,"
,tl.l
'Angelo
club," 'Algemiro Alves - Third sargeanL -Ibipedoist Distoey 2Pataiba",
* 299 Sflo ,.i;ii
Assobral Fighter - Spaniard in Rio L927",'Alcino de Jesus Gardner ::::l
$oltorio'- PsychiaUric Doctor 1949 Doutor ',r:ll

Clemcnte Street Botabgo" and "Albino .;jji:

The imagery power of

Leal Engenho de Dentro street -Joincd the Navy" (sfc). .:i,:
'l.t|:
RosAngela
thosc names places Bispo do Ros6rio's list close to the Project started by rjil

photographs or
Renn6 in 1991 Arquiuo [Jniuersal(Jninasnl ArchiaQ,with news on
organizing
photographic dramas replacing images. Rosirio's anamnesis insists on
,.topo-nominological" plastic situations. Namcs and their orderly
itself following
archive'
situation is the very image. The man is consigncd to thc wishcs of an

a noun
In the tight of a1l this, when Arthur Bispo do Rosirio rvrites a name o1"
"fhe name is patiently embroidercd. Who was the
he productively invests in time,
erratictaxonomli
other? Wrifing configures the subjectivation rnade possiblc wrthin
Archives that Rosd.rio could not forget to include in a biographical script. His effort
turnid
is to kecp the namc, to re-live what, in the logic of archive diseases,would be
Objects created by Bispo do Ros6rio are
into a record to be immcdiatcly forgotten.
nomologic domiciles. His effort is to avoid mcmory to be ruined' That explains

the <ietails of his embroidering the invention of bodies, and the theatricalisation
of archiving processes.Photography moulds and is moulded by the psychology
rather
o[ memory Losing memofy would not, lhcn, mean advance in age, but
who I'ast Ha'
losc face, as in Renn6's A Mulhu fue Perfuu a Mem&ia (The lvoman
image'
Munory) (1991)r€.Bispo clo Rosirio offers a name to the person who has no
He provides what Boltanski's faces were denied'

of'
Arthur Bispo do Ros6rio's . showcase archives (pages 40-43) are groups
homogcneous, interconnected names, such as Distroel Parai.ba2. on the showcasc,
to
the drawing of the ship and plaques wi*! name, patent, position. opposite
Derrida's and,Boltansl<i'snosologic approlch, there is no melancholy or morbidity
should
in Bispo do Rosdrio's archivcs, but evocationsof the mernofy of those who
* is a process ot
not be forgotten, His rvriting - his painting and embroidering
would
individuation. Bmbroidering is the signature for Homa Faber' Aftet all, why
should be consigted to
he cledicatc himself to what, as pcr archiving technology,
oblivion? 'fhose archives are not funerary monuments' Bispo do Rosdrio expands
fields of iife pulsions'

r'vith
Bispo do RosArio embroiclcred collective plaques against a navy blue backdrop
/ Scribe
all names relating to one universe, such as the Navy (S/ R8nio de Jesus
/ Ptua
(page 25g) / Body fincomplete]), or apsychia,tric hiispital (Antonio Gilberto
to one another: a
Vermeiha). Despite such diverse contexts, thA plaques are sewn
'Ihe embroidering thread is not-a
diagram of the coffelations of memory logic.
sign of time, but fiiaments of reactivated memory. War Navy ald the psychiatric

150
I9I

(olLIOFep srtuad ogs 'eu;oueJd

sE rro soueJI sE (seuol se uleunar enb "lod sen4elor
ser{rg €r{ '(gt-gt e"f-?d) oarnbre-oquu;ef, urng 'o3rsouu:Ellt}s ollprurop o :orp
op s"qumard soe oluo{.unuo1\I o noproq elsnJe o 'sautou soe olut{'(997 eu$gd)
€rrang epun€ag su souour sequree.rdso ela8euaruoq or"tgsog op odsrg 'tre1d e-r1
-no51 rapod op u*Fq1 e qos .redsroo aun olrgsog op odsrg'erqqld luarSrq ep no
leuor?Eu ouglrffcl op ap soc4ylod s?IuoJslsoes eculelnbrsd ozSm:lnsuru a
"saJap
?Jronc ap ?r{urr?trAlv '€pE J}rcr EilguI?LIJ€p OlusurBFI Setu 'odural op ou3rs o a
o?u op"proq op og O 'elrgurour €p mrF91ep seg5elal-rorsep eue'r8erp 'u;n:;socrod
ureun as szeeld su 'solxaluol sop opuputdsrp 3 sluelsqo oEN '@q1eru;a4EtEJd / ol
-reqLr5 oruoluy) orr-4grnbrsdpl{dsoq urn ? no (fo1e1du-rocurlod.ro3 / 697, euFyd)
cos;eAluntun € $opepf,ul* ssurou
3lueA3r3sg7 snsof ep olu?u 79) zguyepn R olrloc
so sopol ruoD or{urreullnz" opunJ c.rqoss€Ari3locseceid nopJoq olrg$o}J op odsrg

'ePI 3p sagslnq
$epsodu&?eputd:ra olJgsogop odsTg'sotlgJourysoluoulnuoruous ouu sonlnbru
sessgioluorunanbsr or op?u8puocJasssseAop 'uculsirrmb.maFoloumx u opunFos
'enb oz rrxrpep cs op ole anb ;od'pury 3p
'.taqn{zwlry srnleurssuE J JEpJofl
"IJl "q pproq eng 'soprranbse
'og5cnprrrrpursp ossaco-ld um ? - e slurd e1srlJ"o - ?-rrqrrJsc
Josurolcp osu anb salanbupellgrrr?ruzp sagSeooaa ogs 'orrgsog op odsrg 3p sol
-mbra sou oplqJgurno orrlg)u?latu iP grlapau 'plsueqogc Eplrrsq op uc#glosou
(olrou luo:) s"r{3ga olneu op oquasePrun
wn:lsodep o:1sodo o61'op5uryo clualad
eq 'su1.rlpEN'Z pqryrod{aa.4t1g o ouloo 'opcup um qos sou.touap soaugS-ourog
solunfuoc ops ow-esog op odsrg rnlfirv ap (gf-6t seupgd) solruI{c$'sau}rlfnsy

'Flsusllofl 3p so:lsor
EounoFaucs onb optbu olusJsp 'Ilts8€u4uIOl opu onb ollofnsoq oruou o a33JOJ0
sp '(toot) plt\wpwo nepfid
otrgsuuop od$]figr'guusu affi ry7n79
r ep osscou
oruol tolsor tun rep;ad seur 'apepr eu ff5us,,t€ toglue teue$ opu gTJgurllu 3 Japrld
'Errourour up urfioiorrsd eurn rod upeplour g o egruSoiogy 'oluaurerunb"reop
"plour
oe5ezrlu-Beole e od;or op ogSuaaurz 'opeptoq op e tossr;o4 '"ugureru 3p
"rrlurru
€ulnr rall o ? oFgsolf op odsrg ep o5"roJsag 'sol#c;lourou solTrolluopogs ougsolJ
"
op odsrg rod soplnrlsuoJ sololqo sg '.racenbsa'o3o1te;ed eue"r:IstSa"l as sonrnble sop
eSuaop ep rc#91 ru 'anb oirnbe JEAIn?J'aurou o rolueuJ 9 o5roSsa n3S 'olg"&soTq
orrslor runu rscanbso trpod ogu oIJBSoII op odsrg anb olmbep sonmbte ras urapod
oS 'c3qerre Erruouoxel €urn sp oJluep p4ssod ogSengalqns e z-rn8guor slrrcss
V io4no o wa urar$ 'aluauratruer;ed opup"roq ? euro{r 6 'odtnol op ozr4npord
oJueurqsaAururn e eluou o r?Apr:)sooIJgsoU op odsrg mq1;ry e.red topnbe opnl rod
:::i:
1::i:
'ontnbre op olbsap oe opeu8rsuor g olralns :r]:
ug 'rua8eurr errdgrd ? ? urepro eu oglenlrs €ns a aLuou g '.,swr€gloururou-odo1,;i'ii
szr4sgld sao5enlrsopunFas rezrueF,roes url olsrsul oiJgso1 op odsrg ap asauueue,,illl
y 'suo8eurrop -relinl uro soeggt8o+oJseulzrp no ugtr8o1o; 3rqos surupou eunor anb::ti
'166 I *a guual{ eia8ugsoa .rod opercrut '1xs.nnzu7 oatttfi'tyotafb"rd op or,rqsol{ oP.rn
odsrg ep €ls{ e ?urrxo.rdzsoruou salsapeerigFeurrvrcug}od V '(4t) ..equTxe6e e.redi.rt
Iod - 6?6I orluaql cp oque8ug IEaT ro]nog nn11e-rlernbisdo]Ipgtr{ ..- ouollos-:fi
ourqM, a ..o5o.1e1og666 alualurl3 oXSeng o"rraulpref- snsafap ouTOlV,',,L7,6!1;#
i
orx ou loquedsg- e1sry3n6lp.rqossvo1efiuy,,',&glemd.6 deo'rrqg alsrpsdloa of
-uaFreg orresral -. sally o.rruraSlg, '..qnl3 de>ioofo" ourlxgJd JopeJoIAJn[eceJVn
orrr3.reuro3 .,.r3lg orrJ?uIV, t,.nfeo€Jy Jop"]etu roq o5orsed ou er.rFueserzzS- usffi
rnqugr o,,adrtrag ordprunru eqnle,rede.f oessrr4l- solu"S sop o1snE1y,,:so3lPatr['L:i
? soquTzi 'svlsqtFnd'sorelrpru 'soetre;;eluoe soe '1e1eu?JJel E self,uoJaJsrur"]nl|ii
-ur 'eeggqegle ruepro 3p eroJ 6eu1e1 ziad sopetcrur saurou so '(g I 1 eupyd) (I -'l'Vri
olrp) or;gsog op odsrg.rodopep.roqopne} spuzr8 urn51,t
o.psT- saary ap0!qu0?2!{t

:lJii.ii:l
i
: : tt;:i!:!i

:riiitiill

'.,i'
i:l:li:
 7,91

aq;'rylqg sapauryt{SaT s.pr"I[rpnefl u""f q8norq:] ueos aq lpl Lua:]sl,s q?ns 'PIrp^{
sr
Bql JoJpou8isop pue srn??o uo4onpord qergm q3noJql JapJo prr$ol e sB 'lsqr€ eql
'680 I ut qleep slu {q paldnrrelur
,,iqpadop,rap si slcefqo 3iouralsds3 Jo uosou ?qJ
,(puc.reddz st sn{t'otuoqcnpold scor.resogop odsrg rnq:}rv 'aloqrvrt sy
'agaldtuorur

'olrgso.;:[op odsrg o1 didde osle suor]rpuoc Surnq osor{J

',rr(lrsmapz srurelco,rd sseusno{re33"rdsurrelcord Tr€lC eJeq A '0a(.uot}urnp
"clcqr6
rqz]s lF ]su€Se ?ruolsrxa 3o ldacuor A\eu sqtr se ssausnolrerard
Jo uorlzsllle]sdn
esodord ?A^!,:peur?Ioord s8ulaq Jo sscusnorreeeld aql Jo ls4Je aql '(996I) slxutrln7a.t
J,'jrrlsaJlu"111s,{rel3 uI 'suo4elnurnf,ol?lcelgo s.olJgsox J0 stuos ol }usrrn)3r er?
sqde.r8oloqd esoqJ 'pur8reur ilurcos aql Jo scqaqlsez eW JoJ sluorunuoru fierus
sv sralls^4.p1eer1s,(q sleefqo ;o s8urdno.r51e.rn1eunftrocJo $pJoleI lda:1 aq araqrrt
.orrauzf ap o,it1q (qget) oru ap sv{nffiotodrJo sorrasp pete3rc 'plro^\ eqt ur
"rlf,pr0
'uorssat8susJ]
Japro eurgs pa11e5ur#roqeuos olrgso-Hop odsrg pue ((uolssa.rddoun,,
curnl Jreql ur 'errriltg pue )irul3 'Te^!uns
su ile tr{Snoql Jo -(tuouo33 crloqrl,{.s
31Ello33uol peq oilgsoE op odsrg 3:luts - r^qm]ur Ji uaAe
Jo orJ€u3cseq:l lsuiu8e
,i
- eclf,r$o oll?H pu" rye13 er8d1 qlr dr{suDl i":nna 3urir3Proq suros sI ?J3qJ
,ss?usnorr?3ord e
3o druels lszoq staafqo 3I{I '(A86I) Q8asw4{o nuaszt4aya) ttwEossttT
o rulg ?ql uI lr€zlu3c o8ng o1 lEluourBss+s{otrgsox op odsrg olonb ol
pp o.uaila\^fjtd
.,,glJ?fl uo slsrxeleql Flro:leru, oq:l BursrusFro 's1re{qopalr€ur ,fcsrce"rd;o sura:1s.&
(uralsLs-e1ourssolprler8 e sr stoe[qo
trq pelnlrlsuor 11 'u,s1eolqouA'lou1 A0B eJE orel{J

"uppo p?:leJodrocul lur{} pJo^\ lsrwlue ar$ pepsau sH (.'aurel

op odsrg '.[]rssassldlthDL, ra ,I\oaat a1n.w$tocw
L, :ocunouu€ s,(er*p III 4. oFgsou
s."crc4lo olI?H or uoq€JodJof,uT1a1e'red, '(i7,2
rr, :spsrr euo eJet{i!! 'sv\oattt.ta{
aFed)cpueur nx[ u? sJee*l pu? treJFJV surn] o.rrl?so1op odstg t\ol{ sr l"q; 'ElTrJV
ltroJJse^EisJo Jo rnolo? Jo e3ussqe 3q1 Jo tnoloc-uou 3rF Jo uoBe;u3rsap}qr q l}
'fnio1eue s.orJgso1 op odsrg ur uonde?Jad leqloue sI Wplg 'Euautnu! splnn t.xry.pnu
atlXiq pelrccrad rnoloo {1uo oqt sr anlq
sa\q7.ts
; dnroluuz reuuzq er4 w st{a pu€ (rir)
(surro.lrunurorJ pzetgl qllm ouop sr
puV '* eru5ils crgerqrLsd Jo rnoioc aq) 'an1qut
3u4u16 'lnls E pue.{poq e q1r*r,ttuopue aql ul - pcpllod pue 'ien}urds 'lecsdqd -
uoqzrodroeur e1dr4z s1f1 '(pafrrg;e) Suuagns .roluaurqsrund pu? (suowal f,Iulouots
tsul5uo :dpuarrnluol pBo"I
Lranels se rpns s4se1)ilrot U" ele sp;oaL Surmo[oJ eI{}
€3T{V orueu arp uror$ 's?Iu{. ,tlarrzls 5o l-rouraur ol"ulrlln eql asrseqlu,fupu? pllng
qtoq um ?uq} spro^aspa?u:+srtw aq1 'uorlzrcossPlEtn q Tcslq sr ougsolT op odsrg
'SnorCsUOJun atp ra83rg oJ .{uoqulsoss?as+,, oIl$$I??JJnS e 1Sn[aq1ou ppo/t s33pl Jo
lsq alqerqdxour 3rfl 'eny1'ttoqtul{n pue zqn u3o1t'qeq1no qeds ac1o1 nn{y spaeu eI{
rrqlc, arp rall€ euo ualpr^t sProlrrlseJr{} sp?auoTgsopop odsrg sunou Jo pft\oJ? e uI

'e3usrogrp pue uorlrleder Jo JapJo srq Surzltogclg

'atusu eurcs o$ dq spnP-TllpuT sAqcuqslp 3:o .(1auen eplll dn suado olr,esog
"
op odsrg arurs 'q;ng due .to ep111 {ut ol"nPrnrprn lou op spJ€l ssorlJ 'i;v Iq
tS.tO{etn o} suoqs"J]sg€ uaeq dlsnonard
peu$rsuor sr sf,ueJsrxaarrrlralqnsJIsI{r}dAou
peq datgl JI '/rs,r-auaql trq pauruer stemsarpel csoq] Jo 33u?]srx3erIJ 'so4uqal?o
oq1 ter4srlq qln11 pu" uI{oD r{ln1 3r" sqln11aqt biuourepuu '1qq1 upp.11laod aql sr
seppg oql Suou.ry 'r3u€lsur roJ 'ser1 ro 'sau3:1'sauo1 :oldoad;o sa;org 'ssureu lsrg
l\or{s spJ"? oAr}oalloc'(g+-gV sa8ed)uuf,-aAlqcxe u€ uJ 'altrlt1rop srlseugts-ptrp 3rg
(saureu
:oeT wo{l srerplos II Jp.M plroM o1 luaurnuo4 aq+ PereProrqule $qre ag1
asoql dg '(gg3 elied) il rE A pFoAA uI polp otl&\ sr?rplos eql ol o8euroq s,(ed aq
cnbeld roq1oue ug :rarurod;o cFol ar{} rspun socuore.Ulpsou olrgso-ll op odsrg
'g{eeq cilqnd -:o {rolursl rllssluop otll Jo sruels(s eeua.;eppcrrllod ?re uor}rur:lsul
t,9 I

wn opep o urof, orlsour ouror rrrrssE'nVJ Vl anb opunru urn rrIIIU sp orJsoJ,n,,
"JoJ
'urllpso Blro3l sp sopzplsod soue:r uro3 seo5erurxordesurun8p su"?rcllos oFgso)I
op odsrg ep osrlguey 'oe5dec"redep olrrenb 'oeSnpo.rdap erouguad-voep ielru os
oluel opnuos nss op aunxo:de es anb o?olqo op erFolouaruouq agdotd sn{"toc
"Lun
assasnb.roqerrad a rnbe lerluoo oglsonb v 'prellIJpn€g ueaf ap 's3a{Qgsapautpl{g
7T ep r;ellg qos olsrAErasorresod op odsrg op ossg 'opunru oe sepeullsap
" "uralsls
a szprznpord oes s"srol se lenb €p s?/\Erlt ecr891urap;o euln ouro] 'solafqo ?p eur
-s:Isrsap oe5ou eum sredo as olcN '686I ura al'rour eiad eprdruo:ra3ut 'elaldworur
eJqo Jas olor?d o.ugsol{ op cdsig rnr{t"ty ep ogSripo-rdvp m{tot o 'o1unluor ouro3

'or;gso5 op odsrg ap slerf,u)^ra sao5tpuor

senp unqur"l oES rd'ap€plsrelpe ? €urJqe ecnl:ll6 'aptpar'rera'rd e eru.lge 4"te13
spuo llv or..'oe5u.rnp uf,Ilglso op5ezqulsuc epo:l €J:)uo] EIJU?:lsrQap ollsctroc
"p
olou outot ougcc.rd o soruodan;1,,:nou:z1eo;d tos op apepaueca.rdEpe;lsiue '>1,:e13
' ((9961)
sounsntl.t.sgg olsoJru?ruoN 'orrgso; op odsrg rod supeznruF.rosolo(qo ep
sag5eptunre s€uoc urzrqrrrel se4e"rtolo; s€ssfl 'l"Icos rua8;rcruup eoTl?lsaer:l;nl-szd
soluaurnuoLn souonbad oruoo tunr ap ogSepdod epd solefqo ap srernlunfuoe so1
-ueruedn;Fe e.nsrtsr anb ue o"ueuufep otg ou (qgOt) nnt apsv{ntFo\odrep olrgs Burn
z+ Ecr?qro 'opunu op urepro eurn nmlqsuo? olJgsol1op odsrg 'ogssar8sue-r1
"ue?
ruol oue E ur?J€suodecrcqr6 o >lJsIDtou;n1 nas Jod'€If,u? I lJqos
a ,.anb1eca.lsep,,
ap BrrJgqwrs?turouo)? rurn sp o:lxaluoc ou retooFau nostea.rdo-rlgso6 op odsrg
enb:od'o*qm1ul onb epure 'errcgr6 oII?H a >pe13urBdl rtro, otq? orsrluartd urn
grl 'eImII oN 'spepoueea;d ep ?oJ?ur B urez?4 solelqo sossg '(3961) utaEasw4op
o.naulxsud0 anr1gou u?zffa0 o8n11e oTrysog op odsrg ap oluawtodap o opun5as
c,,€JJcrsu eluolsrxo
IpTJOI?ruo,: Bzru?3Joenb'soprcruu.rcp oluaurcsrcard sololqn ap
$Gl1GlfqO s"ruols$:od opuu.ro;:'uuta1sru6u1otu osorpuar$ tun f, 6t'soplsotluot solelqo Z0B oES

'rrre5uo e ene;odrocur anb

E?rufiue e;rrepd ep eaesrca;d elff ({'LurAng,, :a.rdrues9J"r?urur" oIJgsoN op odsrg
',,op1nro$nqgf,j r\o t.rrypaarn a-tarfntu1,,:qies enb tua 'zcrc4rg o]lgH ap sV1oftunw4
soe e1a1e.red og5e;odrocur evln'(y47 etrpgq nxg ?p olueLu urn also,r2 uznrvaula
as or,rBSoUop odslg 'ruFsy' 'srl.$y $opura $olzrxsa sop no ro, oP t:p
"p "r?uasne
'ro+oeu rp oS5eu8rsap'wJ{ ? oFrgsogop odsrg }p ulwoteu€ eu o?5dar.rsd V
"r}no
'alltttl sularyDtI
:ryseponta.t{ng ail"pus}so op Brlroleu" Eu t0W0a (tts)ngstarulod uplq
tp"tzeaur.ro;tun op so5 urot
-sc"redrof, sf,ru+ E ? It12o.q,,'oriqgrnbmd uruFrlsaop roc
z?l 0s ElrrosaV 'DwIDa od:ror tuot onb Btuowut ?sssu- ec4god a lenlurdsa telrsg
- oe5erodrorur e1du1e g '(ol1ge)epsr,rb-uz no op5rund e (opprrc.rcsaep €3lruguo3r
ovzar ouror se"rezeJe)oql"qe;1 'utaSuo serrrepd sz selunf as-trre?I ?urJV eurou op
4u"d V 'ogpr eJlse ep l€If,uassa€lrgru?ffi Lrrezrle]ume uraoJ]suoc anb se.lrul
"urn
-ed cp nsua.tS ulsqte o 'og5enosse essalq 'or8au g o.ugso1 op odsrg 'rxucrf,srro:lutoP
oluoureuoror?ou:olr ,rou5erloss?oJlrr,, rau;n srauade?IJos oeu sel?pl "p
"lsrlgaJJns
ure8elsrl rperr;dxaur z tmby 'ol@ e sa.oZo{o e"qus Bllr?so nn"{V ap 'ep€Eua
"slterd
ura s?Jlrcsase"rnupdsg"rlop nwa.uf ogesoA op odslg 'so,rr;uelsqnsop opprl1nrrr€N

'z5u:ra3rp a og54ede"rap ruapJo ?ns ure '?urou otusetu oied solragsoluqsrp sonpJA
-rpw sop sanbal arqe ougsoll op odsrg srod 'qlng no epllg "renbpnb urtnPr rpur
ogu s€qcg s"ssg 'rue epd uu8rsuor os e:o.8e alqolQns Bnu?:}slxaens topeloadse <l
ered saq5e"qsqsru€rl s?tue 3S .'rznpo$ eled epecgwao eu"?sa saJal{1nurs"pJpnp
stp ?nu?tslxe V rlDIsrN qln)I e uqo3 l{tntI s?corJ?) soprpqeuosrad se og}sesq}ng
sE o.rluea lspH rppg eleod e glsa $eplrH s" e4ug 'sor.renluo;d sop ?]ucso
"AIsrRc
eprdg"lep o1upsrpol" rrro oluefirlenpr rpw opelurd g ourou tpu3 'o1du:cxo"rodtstil
 core issuehere is to realise that this rd,prarproposes the phenomenology of the objcct
close to its meaning, both at production and perception level. An analysis of Bispo
do Ros6rio would require some approach to specific aesthetic thcory postulation.
"In the exterior I show a world that can speak,just as my finger points to an object
that was at somebody else'svisual ficld", rvrites Maurice Merleau-Ponty in The hase
af the T,l/orl82.Counting on the "material that exists on Earth", Sispo do Ros6rio
builds the prose of his world. The model hcre is to develop a phenomenology
surrounded by Ros6rio's objects, more than the Gestaltof the optical perception of
form or of conjectural readings o{' his phantoms. "Solution to mysterics can only
be found in the critical analysis of works produced', wrote at some point Mario
Pedrosaon the relationship betrrveenform and personalityz3.The complexity found
in Bispo do Rosirio requires a Nietzschea-neffort in perceiving art {rom the point
of view of the artist. His discourse is not built on remains, on excessobjects from
the world, but on objects that are required for the very conformation of the wor{d.
T hc artist conveys t}.:'elacko!' symbolic objects, and more precisely, the prccise ne cd
of all those objects. He placcs himself on the opposite side of excessin the perverse
museification = mummification equation, Once there i.s no theoretical canon to
satisfactorily meet Rosirio's work, one is faced by the present need of articulating
methodological principles that can be the foundation for the task of an analysis.

'Ihe most notable plastic signs in the work of Arthur Bispo do Ros6rio arc
miniaturcs, cmbroiderin.g biue thread coating, dothes, archives,and accumuiations.
If the nature of things in the worl< ol' art comes from the "enformed matter", as
stated by Martin Heidegger, in The AWn qf the Workaf Art, then some of Sispo do
Ros6rio's oeuvre is world matter that is sell"enlbrmed, ?hc artist works on hundreds
of objects covering them with layers or embroidering them with blue thrcad
unthreaded lrorn his uniform. Bispo do Rosdrio worked on his second skin: his
ciothes as the symbolic matter and the very origin of the work of art2a.That being
- body and writing - is self-built. The mattcric nature in the prodr"rction of those
objecrs is driven by imagery. The uniform is"hanwrcifiett'(the thing that comes lrom
a thing) so that a new being is br-riltfrom the existing one25.It is notiust a "nnilbrrn"
(the garmcnt), but the uniqueness o[ each nerv thing that is to bc incorporated to
whatever elseis already in the world. Bispo do Rosfrio developed uncon{bundable
systemsfar object construction: his unique mode of matter enformation and his
order in accumulation, Accumulation based on thc classesof things strips non-
essential di{Ierences from cach obiect in that one group, although with no model
ideaiity. "Miniatures contributc for my transformation", admits Bispo do Ros6rio
to Denizart.

Some of the objects covered with blue thread are proportional to the corresponding
conventional size of their references (plumb line), somc are miniatures (different
architectonic elements, as ladders and platforrns), and others are even maximized
(spinning top). The sensitive experience of those objects loscs its point of contact
with functionality and is submitted to the rule of imagination as determined by
Bispo do Ros6rio. From the saturation of those mechanisms of common sensc
and conceptual understanding the viewer will find himself/hcrself in a scenano
of illogicality and irrationality as ideology, metaphysics, love, madness. If logic
involution is produced by the artist's strategies,it has been established in the Other
as the possibility of thc doubt.

The corpusin the work of Bispo do Rosdrio is perccived as part of the archaeology
of the material culturc of his time. When looking at lvo Mesquita's intcrprctat-ion,
however, whose diagnosis is that Bispo do Ros6rio "mnmmifies the objects in his

l5,l
 $lito qrr" estavano campo visual dos outro$", escreveMaurice Merleau-Ponty cm
,ffiiiio aoMundo.,2Com o "material existentena Terra", Bispo do Rosirio monta
it#*u de seu mundo, O modclo aqui 6 desenvolver uma fenomenologia acercada
,objetos de Bispo do Rosdrio, mais do que uma Gtstalt da percepglo 6tica cla
ima ou de leituras conjeturais de sua fantasmdtica. 'A soluglo do rnistdrio s6
ser encontrada no exame critico das obras produzicias", escreveu cett:avfz
[6iio Pedror* sobre as relag6escntre forma e personalidade.23A complexidade da
ibiu d* Ilispo do Ros6rioindica sernecessfrioo csforgonietzscheano
de apreender
'::,j#
irte do ponto de vista do artista. Seu discurso nio se constr6i do lado da sobra,
ffi, r*."r*o, de objetos no mundo. Eles sflo necessirios i pr6pria conformaqio do
,lim"ndo. O artista fala do lado dafaln de objetos simb6licos e, mais precisamente,
iitle n*u prccisa necessidade de todos essesobjetos. Est6 no oposto do excessoda
perversa museificaEfio = mumiiicagio. IJma vez que n6o h6 um cAnon
r,,te6ricoque dB conta satisfatnriamente da obra de Bispo do Ros6rio, surgc a pre-
ifente necessidadcde articular principios metodol6gicos que possam calgar a tarefa

jit:i:::

mais marcantesda produEflode Arthur Bispo do Rosirio slo

iirios signospidrsticos
:r::r:

iii.la miniatura, o bordado, o revestimento com fro azu\, a$ roupas, os arquivos e as

iri acumulagdes. Se o car6ter da coisa na obra de arte vem da "mat€tia enformada",
iir como alirma Martin Heidegge4 em A Origetnda Obra deArte, ent5.opartc da obra
iltt de Bispo do Rosirio 6 o material do mundo que se enibrma a partir de si mesmo.
iii' O *tirtu elabora centenas de ob.ietosrecobrindo-os ou bordando-os com fio azul
:i destecido de seu uniforme. Bispo do RosArio trabalhou com sua segunda pele: a
roupa como materialidadesimb6licae origem da obra de arte.2tO ente- corpo e
sscritura* $econstrdide si, A vontade mat6ricaque move a produqeodessesob-
jetor atuapor furqado imagindrio,0 uniformese'V'frtr60ffit6'u(a coisaquc vem
Jhndo 6 s6o "uniformc" (a roupa),
da coisa)para construirum outro serdo ente.z5
rnasa singularidadede cadanovacoisaque devecompor o tudo que h6 no mundo.
:: Bispo do Rosirio desenvolveu inconfundiveis sistemas de construgio dos objetos:
ii o peculiar modo de enformagio da mat6ria e o ordenamentoda acumulag6o.As
i1f acumulag6es por classes existentes
de coisaspdem a nu asdiferengasn6,oessenciais
cm cadaobjeto do conjuntc, embora sema ocorr0nciade idealidadedosmodelos.
'lAsminiaturaspermitem a minha transhrmagio", revelaBispo do Rosirio ainda
a Denizart.

Certos objetos recobertos com fio azul s6o proporcionais ao tamanho convencional
dos objetbs re{trentcs (ofio de prumo), alguns s6o miniaturas (os divcrsos clcmentos
arquitct6nicos, como as escadase os palanques) e outlos sflo atd maximizados (o
pilo), A experiflncia sensivel daquelcs objetos perde seu ponto de contato com o
campo funcional e se submete i reg0ncia dtl imagin6rio determinado por Bispo dn
Ros6"rio.A partir dessasaturagflo dos mecanismos de disccrnimento e de apreensflo
coriceitual, o cspectador se encontrar6 no campo do il6gico ou da desraef,.ocomo a
ideologia, a metafisica, o amor, a loucura. Se existc uma involuglo l6gica produzida
pelas estrat6giasdo artista, ela foi instalada no Outro como possibilidade da drivida'

O nrpw da obra de Bispo do Rosirio i percebido como constitutivo de uma arque-

ologia da cultura matefial dc scu tempo. No entanto, diante da interpretaqio de
Ivo hzlesquita,que diagrostica que Sispo do Ros6rio "mumificava os objetos do seu
colidiano", pode-se pref'erir a noq6o heideggeriana de "mat6ria enformada".26 O
artista criou aquelas centenas de objetos encobcrtos por fios, cr"rjaforma tamb6m
permitiria entend€-I:s como sajdos de seu cotidiano. Irederico Morais dcnominou
OREA a "obra recoberta de fio azul". Dii'erentemente do sistema industrial dos

IJJ
 t:iiii
rli:i
::riii
:l.ii *
,::.'J
:1il

,rii
::tt!i
i:,;.I
of the "enfotmcd matter"26. .i.li:
cveryday lifb,,, one might prelcr Heidegger's notion ::ji*
I,,i
covered by threads; their form also
The artist created ttro.e hundreds of objects :liii
rjr:I
Irrederico lVlorais called them
hclped seeing them as frorn the arrist's everyd.aylife. ::r:li

.,oeuvfe covered wirh btue thread - obra fecobe1"tade fio azul"' Di{Ierently ]ii
oRlA
thread objects sheiter the cncrg'y
from the industrial system of objects, the blue
- that is not abstract) and must find its
expended by Bispo clo Ros6rio the energy
plasticequivalence'Thatexplainshismeticulosityinusingthebluethread:tothe
hacl been dissolved. If Jean Baudrillard,
cxtent of *uking it look u, if ull gestures
functional object is the real object",
tn I,e slrtane du obietr (1968),2?argues that "the
-Bi,po as device-objccts
th.,,., do Ros6rio,s unreal objects can only be functjonai
The logic for the articulation of the
from his imagination and symbolic business,
requires their juxtaposition with the
cogus of objects created by Bispo do Ros6rio
,,ryrr** of objects" as theorised. in Baudrillard's criticism to advanced industrial
to interrupt the time acceleration
process.Bispo do Ros6rio andAlfredo volpi seem
a work that might simply be "non-
,rr* i, industrialisation and urbanisation to
natufal,,ifnotsearchingforlegitimationinitshistoricalpfescnt'

artist or of third parties and covered

If the thre ad was taken from the uniform of the
covers all the others with the same
cverything one could say that the first object
'fhe convenlional colour of the garment is the
colour, repeating itsclf in thcm.
in the social context of discipline
metapho;lbr the cultural significations indexed ..Objects are ,good actofs,,J
actol
and vigilance. Every object is blue colour main
at a subaltern position in the system
said Matisse2s.'Ihe blue colour is hierarchised,
o[power'AsforBispocloRosirio,sobjectsystem,colourphenomenologyindicaies
colour", transcribcd
a,,cauhur uicud', whichis to say, the notion of "experienced
an embarrassment
Irom the very notion of "experienced body" ("corpsaicu")runder
The sensorial notion in carpstictt
systemin the social distribution of bodies in space.
Merleau-Ponry Bispo do
imparted disputes betweenJean-Paul sartre and Maurice
and his statutory blue' The
Rosirio lends his body to objects,lcnds his uniform-skin
to painting as Merleau-
axlist operat"s similarly to thc painter who lends his body
Ponty under the influence of Poet Paul Val6ryre'

is the blue thread that

Thc great chromatic sign in the work of Bispo do Rosdrio
over the *odJ", a veil. In his object system, blue thread covered objects
"*purrdu The biue colour, amply
c1ealeasyntagma[ic axle with grealpower of idcntification'
prevalentinthemonochromaticthreadobjectsbyBispodoRos6rio,isrecurrenl
Btue (IK}) -- the colour he
ro French artist J..vesIilein and his Inta'natianat Klsin
psychic painting method
patented' Itlein considered "nronochronT' as the only
colour, personal life, and
to reach spirirual absolute"3o.the artists interconnected
he dressed solemnly, weanng
metaphysics. on the day he wedded Rotraut ljecker
Yves Klein would not do without
san sebastian Archers garment. In his blue phase'
do Rosirio moved through
a ritual action o, * ,yrrriotic gcsturc3r.Klein and Bispo
is his very orvn, incomp"tub]:
diflerent planes of consciousness.Bispo do Rosario
parody'ChosenbyGodandaband.onedbyinternRosangelaMaria,allhecould
the sword of tl-rechosen one'
do was cnact his lovc vigil dressedin his mantle, r,r,ifh
betwecn sleep and dream.
vigil lies between thc real and the metaphysical,

Gilles Deieuze brings together

while discussing repetition and difference,
Kierkegaard, Nietzscie, and
p6guy to forrn a triprych: the Pastor,the Antichrist, and
Deleuze discusses
the catholic. we could add Bispo do Rosario as the slmcrctist.
theEuropearrtriobysaFngthateachone,intheirownway,rulnsrepetitioninto
,,essentialcategofy {br future philosophy"' Each one is assigneda Testament' as
an
character in that t]reatr-e
well as a Thea[re, a theatrical conception, and an eminent

156
 nos obje;tos cm fio azrrl a energia despendida por Bispo do Rosirio ndo
ileiun*,ruaoe necessitaencontrar sua cquivzrlBnciaplistica, Dai a meticulosidade
do^sgestos houvesse
iifia aplicagfr.odo fio azul, a ponto de parecef qu: a soma _se
liffisrolvido. StJean Baudriliard, ernI'e Slsthnedts Ohjetr(1968),2? argumentaque r'o
ii.fficto funcional 6 o objcto real", portanto, os objetorirreaisc{eBispodo Rosd.rios6
#odem ser funcic.rnais como objetos-dispositivos do imagin6rio e neg6ciosimb6lico.

iii'$.ruirr*ruposigflo com o "sistema de tlbjetos" teorizada na critica de Baudrillard ao

,,proccssoindustrial avangado, Bispo do Ros6rio e Alfrcdo Volpiparecem susPender
ilro acelerado lempo da industrializagflo e urbanizaEio para uma obra que poderia
simplcsmentescr "inahral" ao n6o buscarsualegitirnag6oem seupresentehist6rico,

iil# S" o fio cra retirado do uni{brmc do artistaou de lerceirosc tudo rccobria,tambEm
iiiift rr pod"ria dizer que o primciro objeto revestedc azultodos os demais,e nelesse
liil::.*p"t.. A cor convencionalda roupa 6 a mctifora das significaEdesculturais in-
iii, dexudasno contcxto socialda disciplina e da vigitdncia.Cada objeto 6 o alor que
i,,protagonizao azts7. "O rrbjeto€ um bom atof', disseMatisse.2B Essacor azul esti
!, hierarquizada, em posig6r:subaiterna num sistemade poder,No sistcma de objetos
, de Bispo do Ros{rio, a ibnomenologiada corindica urna"coulntruiate",ou seja,
transcrita da pr6pria noEi.o de "cotpo vivenciado"
' a id6ia de uma "cor vivida",
('corpsuttu") sobo sistemade constrangimento.s na distribuiEio social dos corpos
no espaEo.A id6ia sensorialde corpsuicuestcvenas disputasentre.jean-PauiSartre
Biqpo do Ros6rio emprestaseu corpo aos objetos,em-
e lvlaurice lVlerleau-Ponty.
prestasuapele-uniformee seuazul estatut6rio.O artistalaz operaEf,.o andlogai do
pintor quc cmprestaseucoryo i pintui-a,como ainda observouum Merleau-Ponty
marcadopelo poeta Paul Val€ry2e

O grandesignocrom4tico dc Bispo do Rosirio 6 estcfio azul que seexpandesobre

o mundo como um v6u. No sistemade objetosdo artista,os objetoslevestidosde
,{io azul lbrmam um eixo sintagmdticocom enorme forga de identificagflo.O azul,
amplam€nteprevalccenteno cot{unto monocromdticodo$objetosem {io de Bispo
do Rosdrio,condw a uma refer0nciaao arti$tafranc€sYvesKltin e a seuInta'nati,o-
nallllrin Bhrc(II(B), a cor que patenteou,Klein consideravaque "a monocromia6
a finica mancira psiquicade pintar quc permite atingir ao absolutocspiritual"'50O
artista entrclalou coq vida pessoale metafisica.Para seu casamcntocom Rotraut
{Jeckcr vestiu-sesolenementecom a$ vestesda Ordem dos Arqueiros de 56o Se-
bastiflo.Em seuperiodo azul, \frtcsKlein nfio prescindiade uma agSoritual <lude
um gestosimb6lico.stKlein e Bispo do Rosdriomoviam-sepor diferentesplanosda
consci8ncia.Bispo do Rosirio 6 suapr6pria par6cliaincompar6vel.Escolhidopor
Deus e abandonadopela estagiariaRosangelaMaria, s6lhe restaencenara vigilia
amorosavestidocom $uacapa e tendo ao lado sua espadade escolhido.A vigilia
estd.entre o real e o meta{isico,entre o sonoe o sonho'

Ao discutir repetiEsoe difcrenEa,Gilies Ilelcuze reiine lfierkegaard, Nietzschee

P€guypara formar um triptico do pastor,do anticristo e do cat6lico.Poderiamos
agregarBispo do Ros6rio como o sincr€tico.Deleuzediscuteo trio europeu,obser-
vando que cadaum ir suamaneira fez da rcpctiqio uma "categoriafundamentalda
filosofiado futuro. A cada um correspondcum Testamento,e tamb6m um'I-catro,
uma concepEsode teatro e um pe$onagcm eminentenesteteatro como hcr6i e
protagonistada repctig6o".32 A repetiElo, agregaDelenze,6 a universalidadcdo
singular.Tambdm Bispo do Ros4rio rccorreu *. repefiEio como pot8ncia pr6pria
da linguagem, conlo o artista, nas circunstA.nciascla obra de Cildo Meireles,em
situaq5ode gueto.O paradoxo de Bispo do Ros6,rio6 ofcrecer,entf;o,uma esp6cie

157
 as the hero and main charactcr in rcpctition"sz. Repetition, Deleuze eocs on, is the
universality ol' uniqueness. Bispo do Rosdrio resorted to repeiition as a power that
is language specific, as does the artisL,under the circumstances of Cildo Meireles, in
a ghetto situation. Bispo do Ros6rio's paradox, then, is to present a somewhat {blse
repctition of Sameness.He was in chargc of representing the world to undergo a
transformation and thcn present himself to humanify Bispo do Ros6rio dcclared
in O Prisianeiroda Parsagemthat he would not haye done any of that had he not been
called to do it, In both Yves Klein or Messianic Bispo do Ros6rio, certain spiritual
interests do not meet up aesthetic density, only adding imagery archeological data.

Onc must look closer into Bispo do Rosdrio's objects. Our eyeswill, thcn, be faced
by an apparent tautology: the object would be identified through its shape and
name. Vjsual information is reiterated by writing the common noun of the object
it corresponds to: tube-key, musical box, meat grindcr. An old "midtash" could
be of hclp here, on the Jewish explicatory dcfinition of the Law, as evohed by
Donald Preziosi. The "mid:tas/t"says: "Tb pray is to turn to the wall". One does
not pray towards the wall to imagine that god would be behind that wail, but
rather to understand that he(she) is zaf theres3.As in a "midrash", seeing the shapc
and reading the name of an object is precisely understanding that it is not there,
whether a tube-key a musical box, ot a meat grinder. They arc all sheer, rough
copies covercd by blue threads+. Seeing is not reading; one must insist on Jean-
FranEois Lyotard's statement in Discours, That Lyotard does not su{fice here,
figttres35,
howcvcr, since reading could only confirm information from seeing.The word dog
does not bite, philosopher WiiliamJames would say under such circumstances, It
is, therefore, only in homological dcviations that blue-thread-covered objects could
be reduced to mummifications. Bispo do Rosirio's positioning seems to conYe{ge
with Magritte's assertive s in fus fuIotset leshnages:" Un objetnefaitjamais k mtmeffie
(luesonnornou qul sur imagt'36.

Bispo do Rosirio's simulacrum manoeuvre is ciose LoClaes Olclenburg's positioning.

After his harsh sculptures of daily objects in The Slore,3? Claes Oldenburg started
creating vinyl soft objects in 1963. That is his great authorial scal,just like thc blue-
thread-covered objects - the so-callectORFAs - are one of thc visual sealsof Bispo
do Rosrlrio.

When Bispo do Ros6rio presents things with simulated form and significant one
could refer to the conceptual proposition from Oneand ThreeChah's(1965), where
Joseph Kosuth juxtaposes the thing itself (thc chair), its image (a front photograph),
and its significant (the entry for chairin a dictionary): all conforming thc universal
notion of chair. It is possible, howcver, to consider the blue-thread-covered objects
referring to Ren6 Magritte's painting La Ttnhison des ftnages(1929), where the
semiotic game launches a text (cecin'estpar unepipe) that states we arc faced by a
representation, rather tiran the thing itself The blue-threa&covered objccts are
emply content differences. Cildo Meireles' Araorc do Dinheiro (1969) might also be
brought to discussion. Its labei explains that it contains one hundrcd notes of i
cruzeiro, with total value being 2,000 cruzeiros. Disconcertingly, Meireles addresses
the "exchange value" of artistic objects, gving transparency to the economic
operation that is implied in artistic action. "Let things be what they are", says
Heidegger. The idea may be polemicised in the work of both Meireles and Bispo
do Ros6rio. The ORtrAs cannot be what they are just like the objects that appear or
simulate to be. Their presence is their q'mbolic value. Therefore, despite that real
appearance of a "mummy", those objects created by Bispo do RosArio, enformed
by threads or accumulated with concrete things, are the result of wishlirl existence,

158
 tiil
lalsa repetiEio do Mesmo. Ele estavaincumbido de representar o mundo para
iiim transformar-se para se apresentat:i humanidade. Bispo do Rosario declarou
i O hiswneiro da Passagunque n6o faria tudo aquilo se nf,o tivessesido chamado
d*z6lo. Em YvesKlein ou num mcssif,.aico
Bispo do Ros6rio,certosinteresses
nio dio dcnsidade est6tica da obra, apcnas acrcscentandolhe
ffiirituais {a
-c<lnt1
tim dado arqueol6gicodo imaginirio.

iiilr;::,
i,iE;necessirioexaminaxmelhor osobjetosde Sispo do Ros6rio.O olhar sedefronta,
uma apal'ente tautologia: o objeto seria identificado pela forma e nome
ifip-oiu,com
iiii,;
L::i::liLt4 coisa.
Lvrr4, A informaElo visual € reiterada pcla escrita do substantivo comum borda-
iiiido sobre o objeto a que corrcspondcria: chave-tubo, cabaEamusical ou moinho de
i.o'bar.re.'lalvez seja dc auxilio aqui um velho "midrash" sobre a exposig[o explicativa
ffidai.* do cspirito da Lei, evocado por Donald Preziosi, A "midrarlt" diz: "rezar 6,
i r r i : i i . - - I*-.- *,--^t, RTx^ iimaginar
* ^* i * ^* que l ^,,-
ii:rvoltar'se para ^o muro". Ndo ^^ se rezapara o muro para
-.,- ^ ^,,- deus estivesse
^.r i ,,- .- -

lii'atrAs do muto, mas precisamente para entender que ele (ela) nda es16ali.33Como
iiitna "rnidrash",ver a forma e lcr o nome do objeto 6 precisamcnte cntender que ele
jir::r.i
ii nflo esti ali, seja elc uma chave-tubo, uma cabaga musical ou um moinho de carne-
^,

:ii:

ir 56o meros simulacros recobertos de fio azul.3+Vcr nf,.o6 leq deve-seinsistir com a
i;afirmaElo deJean-Frangois Ll,otard em Dircout"s, rtguru.t'No entanto, aqui j6 nflo
;, basta esteLyotard, ji que ler poderia apcnas confirmar a informagdo vinda do ver,
i A palavra cio nio morde, diria o fil6sofo William James diante destascircunstAn*
,, cias, E, poi.s,apenasnos desvioshomol6gicos que os objetos encobcrtos por fio azul
i, poderiam ser reduzidos a murnificaEdes. A posigdo de Bispo do Rosdrio parecc
, confluir para as assertivas de Magritte em I-esMots et lesImages:"Un abjetnelfaitjamais
k mhneffie qw snnnnm0a guesnnitnage."!6

A manobrado simulacrodeBiapodo Ros6rioseaproximadaposig6,o estnbelecida

por elaesOldenburgFepoisdesuasescuitures durasdeobjctosdo cotidianoem
TheStorc,s1
ClaegOldenburgpassoua fazerolrjetosmoieseffivinil,em 1963,f, sua
Srandemafcaautoral,a$$imcomo0$objetosrecoberto$ delio az,ul* asditasOR-
FAs- sf,oun:adasmarcasvisuaisdeBispodo Ros4rio.

Ouando Bispo do Rosirio apresentacoisascom uma forma e seusignificantesi-

mulado, seriapossivelpensarna proposiEAoconceitualUmae Tits Cadeiras (1965),
na qualJosephKosuthjustapdea coisaem si (a cadeira),sua imagem(uma Ib-
togra^fiafrontal) e seu significante(o vcrbete cadeiranum dicion6rio),que confor-
mam uma noE6ouniversalde cadcira, E possivel,no entanto,pcn$aros objetos
recobertospor fio azul a partir da pintura La Tlahisond.eshnages'(1929),de Rend
Magrittc, na qual o jogo semi6ticolanga um texto (crcin'est pN unePiPr)que afir-
ma que estamosdiante de uma representag6oe nflo da coisa em si. Os objetos
recobertospor fio anal.sdodifcrengasvaziasde conterido.Tamb6rn 6 possivel
colocar em discuss[ooutra obra de Cildo Meireles,a Araored.oDinhairo(1969),
cuja etiquetaexplicita que o volume 6 formado por 100notasde 1 cruzeiroe que
seuva"lor6 de CR$ 2.000 cruz,eiros.De rnodo desconcertantc, Meirelestrata do
"valor de troca" do clbjetoartistico,deixandotransparentea operaqio econdmica
que impJicaa ag:aoartistica,'A coisadevedeixar-seno seuestarem si", observa
Heidegger.Essaiddia pode ser problematizadana obra de Mcireles e de Bispo
do Rosirio. As ORFAs nlo podem estar em si apenascomo os objetosque apa-
rentam ou simulam. Est6o ali por seu valor simb6lico.Portanto, apesalda real
apar0nciade "mrimia") essesobjetoscriadospor Bispo do Ros6rio,enformados
por fios ou $endoacumulaqlo de coisasconcretas,estSoali por um designioda
exist€nciacumprido incessantcmenteao longo dc d€cadas.Seguramenteo dito
de Boltanski- "s6 podemospreserya.r a.scoisassc pararmoso cursoda vida"s8

159
 and constantly materialised along decades. Boltanski's saying "trVe can preserve
things only by stopping life's course" certainly does not apply to Bispo do Ros6rio38.
Things, in Ros6rio's view, are "enfbrmed matter" through inveshnents of the libido.

As Magrittc, Sispo do Rosdrio seems to bctray imases il his semiotic exchange

value. It would be narve to say that his Iinguisnc opcrations wcrc takcn as analytical
propositions, or under platonic views that characterizedJoseph Kosuth's conceptual
art as philosophy continuiry. If within mechanised industrial system man becomes
less coherent than his objects, thcn a biue-threaded object could not be seen as an
alibi to form, as it would seem at first. Bispo do Rosdrio does not operate on "false
solutions", but rather offers perception manoeuvrcs. His strong semiologic intr-rition
puts together solufions thal embarrass logocentric certainties.

Sttrertee Does Het EmEpEy Among the ORIAs Bispo do Rosirio pcrmeated the art of truilding silence. The
@onserrt cyc could view the rhythm in the hand of thc artist while thread was spindled
aror:nd the fiute-volume. Nurturing that thread was to makc it transparent that
no promise of sound has been made. Time sculptures form through the difl'erence
and the repetition in labouring gestures. The artist created an instrumental trio
with a tambourinc, a flutc, and maracas * ail blue-thread-covered. rf one ORFA
is a countcr-object and a sirnulacrum, to view it inatteniively is not to understand
it. Waltercio Caldas placed a cork in thc hole o{' a primitive vinyl record. While
prcventing the record player to work, the cork also isolates the ear. Seeing is not
Jistening. The double visual paradox in the incxorable commerce of' senses:sight,
tact, audition. Caidas is part of the Neocontretism tradition inaugurated by Lygia
Clarl< and H6lio Oiticica and hept by Cildo Meireles. Mebs-Carania(1970-1971),
Meireles' artist-record made with a liequency oscillator includcs sound sculptures,
aspiral or a Mcobius tap€ - all non-existent to the eyes,only in space.Plasticity is
enformcd with fre qucncics and sound waves,conforming the territo ry of Blindltatland.
Listeningis sceing In Bispo do Rosilrio's counter'acoustic production the eye listcns
to thc sound muffi.cd by wires and the simulation of pseudo-instruments. Atthur
Bispo do Ros6rio operated a pervcrse labouring on forms based on the sound
ogectations stuck in form representation. The phenomenological perversity of
Rcrs6rio'smusical insiruments is to producc that silence and deafness-Wind and
percussion in mute ORFAs. Seeing is listening to silence.

If the eyes are submitted to the madness of' thc order produced by Jean'Pierre
Ra)maud's Psjtcho-Obiets (1964-1974)3elValtercio Caldas entitles an aerodlmamic
form following its gravitational Iimit - O qtrcndauoa(IAtrhatdoesno t fly arou nd) ( 19 77)
-, whereas in the absence of a Cbrtesian Outlook, Ros6rio's tambourine could be
"what does not make any sound". Paraphrasing, he does not make music...., since
cotton, either the threacl or the material, has mulfled the sound in the ORFAs. The
operation drar,vsclose to the nolion of "ghetto" in Cildo Meireles' work. If the
"throat yells", as Rosirio embroiders on his banner-sayin.gI ned thiswods in writing
the institutions (as the archives, Lheprison, thc psychiatric hospitai, among others)
mullle the voice, It is the metaphor {br freedom crisis. Bispo do Rosirio leads to the
idea of'Meirelcs'ghetto, stemming fiom the political circumstanceswhen it seems
the air to spread out thc voice {rom the throat shouting under oppression is missing'
Under dictatorship, that is what Meireles signalled in 1970 with his Tiradentes: tolan'
aopresopolttico.In that sense,the very afera creatcd by Bispo do Rosdrio
moru,tmento
is manifcstcd as thc voicc that moves in a hyper-ghetto. Aftcr all, silence does not
implv consent.,.

t6 0
:.,',
r;::Bispodo Rosdrio parece hzer, como Maeritte, uma traigd.o das imagcns no seu
valor de troca semidtico. Seria ingdnuo considcrar que as operaEdeslingiiisticas de
iiii
do Rosario fossem dadas como proposig6cs analiticas ou sob as basesplat6ni-
,ii.,'..t,$ispo
1i:tas que caractetizavam a arte conceitual deJoseph Kosuth como continuidade da
ri,ifilosofia.Se no sistemaindustriai mecanizado o homem .sctorna menos coerente
,'qiie seusobjetos, tampouco se pode entender um objeto em fio azul como um 6libi
i.,,da lorma, conaopoderia parecer ir primeira vista. Bispo do Rosirio n6o opera com
ii "solug6cs falsas", mas oferecc manobras de pcrcepEio, Ele tem uma forte intuigdo
i',: semiol6gica que monta aparerrtessoluqdesclub constrangcm certezaslogoc€ntricas.

Entre a.sORlA.s, Bispo do Rosirio imiscuiu uma ccrta arte de construir sil€ncio. @auem €a[a W6g
0 olhr: pr:deria visualizar o ritmo da mf;,o do artista no enrolar do lio em voltzr @@F?s@Fst@
do volume-flauta. Veiar a massa com fios € manter transparente quc nlo se laz
qualquer promessa de rriido. O tempo esculpe a forma atrav6s da difercnEa e da
repetigdo do gesto laborioso- 0 artista criou um trio instrumental com tambo-
rim, Ilauta e maraca recobertos em lio azul, Se uma ORFA 6 um contra-objeto e
um simulacro, vcr desatentamcnte n6.o 6 comprccnrJcr. Waltcrcio Caldas colocou
uma rolha no orificio dc um primitivo disco de vinil, Ao impcdir o luncionamen-
tr: do toca-discos, a rolha tamb6m isola o ouvido. Ver n5.o 6 ouvir. B um duplo
paradoxo visual no inexor{vel com6rcio dos sentidos: visio, tato c audiEEo. Cal-
das comp6e a tradigSo do neoconcretismo inaugurada por Lygia Clark e H6iio
Oiticica e continuada por Ciido Meireles. Mths-Caraxi.a(1970-1971), um disco-
-de-artista de Meireles lbito com osciiador de Ileqii€ncia encerra esculturas sono-
ras, uma cspiral ou uma fita de Moebius que nlo existem na viseo, mas apenasno
espago.Sua plasticidade se enforma com freqii0ncias c ondas sonorase confcrrma
o territ6rio de Blindhottand.Ouvir 6 ver. Na produgdo contra-acilstica de Bispt:
do Ros6rio, o olho cscuta o som abafado por fios e a simulagdo dos pseudo-
-instrumentos. Arthur Bispo do Rosdrio operou um agenciarnento pcrverso das
fbrmas, a partir das expectativas sonol?s {incadas na representaglo pela forma.
A perversiderdefenomenol6gica dos instrumentos musicais de Bispo do Ros6rio 6
prodr"rzir este sil6ncio e surdez. Sopro c percusslo cstdo cm ORIAs caladas. \/er
6 ouvir o silOncio.

$e, o olhar 6 submetido i loucura da ordem produzida pelos Pytcho-Objets (1964-

1974) deJean-Pierre Raynaud,3elValtcrcio Caldas intitula uma forma aerodinlmi-
ca cm relertncia a seu limite gravitacional - A Erc fidl ana{1977) -) enquanto um
pandeiro de Bispo clo Rosirio, na falOncin do olhzr cartesiano, poderia ser "o que
nflo soa". Bm pardfrase, o qlre ele faz n6o 6 mrisica..., pois o algodXo, em lio ou
tecido, abafiru o som nas ORFAs. Essa operagfio se aproximadanogilo de "gucto"
na produg1o de Cildo lVleireles.Se a "garganta gdta", como borda Bispo do Ros6-
rio no cstandarte dito Eu precisodestasPalaarararct*a, as instituiEdes (como o arquivo,
a prisio, o hospital psiquidtrico, entrc outras) abafam u uor. i! a metifora da crise
da libcrdade. Bispo do Rosdrio conduz para essanoglo de gueto de Meireles, ori-
ginada nas situagdespoliticas em quc parccia faltar o af q1llepropagasse a voz da
garganta quegitatiasob opressio. Sob uma ditadura, 6 o que Meirelcs indicou cm
1970 com T'itndentes: politico.Nesse sentido, a pr(tpria opaa
aopre.so
totern-monumento
de Bispo do Ros6rio se rcvela como voz em mtrvimento de um hipergueto. Afinal,
quem cala n6o consente,,.

161
Strong Sell The setting for Arthur Bispo do Rosirio's oeuvre was a densiry field constituted by
thc accumulation of symbolic cnergy enformed in objects. Unless exccptionally,
his spatial singularity did not allow external circulation of objects, and required a
comparalive confrontation against certain mechanisms and spatialities in western
art production: Gwamtekurclwetk,Ma7, Nirtho, Gueto,Cela and, Monadq by Richard
Wagner, Kurt Schwitters, H6lio Oiticica, Cildo Meireles, Louisc Bourgeois, and
G. W Leibniz. Counter opposing architectoaic analogies ternptations, the purpose
here is to understand and to differentiate the "strong cell"d - the place conquered
by Bispo do Ros6rio in the socio-political scenario of the distribution of bodies he
had been submitted to. In his romantic Yayages autaurde ma chsmbre(1825), Xavier
de Maistre talks about books, the world, and the Otherar. It was his comp)iment
to immobiJity and voluntary seclusion at a time when travcl reports wcre being
made. For Bispo do Rosdrio, finding the place for his body did not suffice; he had
to conquer his "strong cell" as his cartography of wishful power That would be
the destination of his cosmogonic travel around his cell. lVhile listening to the
voice ordering him to act with constancy, Bispo do Ros6ro experienced lhe state
of becoming.

Gesarntekunstwerk Paradoxically despite his accuracy, his name cards, his files, and his orderly
organisation of things accumulated in showcases,Bispo do Rosdrio's objects were
untitled. "Ihe nouns seemed to be incorporated to,things, but were not in their
constitution. The artist was certain to be creating his worh as a whole, as world {low,
as the enformation of Earth-existing matcrial for his reveiation and presentation to
the chosenones.

Arthur Bispo do Rosirio's trajectory conveyed the obsessive achievement of

monumental irnagery architecture. He seemed not to share much interest in the
fantastic drscourse that so predominandy characterizedLaan American art. It is
impossiblc to harmonii his production to categories of such nature. Bispo do
Rosdrio had his metaphysical reasons, but also addressed the concreteness of his
society in a very parlicular way. He produced the poetic response in his search for
a totality that could encompass his world vision between metaphysics, delirium,
and desire. Based on those variables, Ros6rio was a witness of everyday life. His
collection was constituted towards a vcrtigo point where his work could be inscribed
in what some have called "museum of arqr and cverything".

The Wagnerian concept from LB49 - Guamtehunsfttsa'k,in Das l{wzshper*da {ukrfi-

pointed towards the total art that would incorporate thc consolidated contribution
'from all arts, Although Bispo do Ros6rio did not corrclate thc diverse artistic
Ianguages, his work, as a whole, does reach close to some of the elements that
conformed the contemporary conception of Gesamtehunsltnerk. Some understand the
conceptwould indude H6lio Oiticica and Robert Rauschenberg If his production
is viewed under the condition of libido investment, Bispo do Rosdito will show
his dcdication towards building a complex totality that is superior to the sum of
its parts or its individual objects. At a more intimate level, he is confronted by the
Greek ideal that had been at the root of Gesarntekunsilaerh cancept as established by
Richard Wagner: the expression of a devastating idea. Bispo do Rosd.rio'sF/ano
Faberactedtnnon-stoppingr modest repetition, every time constructing a new obiect
or rctrieving a diflerent individual, as the "supreme object of freedom and will"a2.
Devastated theatricalisation, through a Deleusian bias, in response to an order to
act, Nonetheless,Bispo do Rosdrio's strorgcell erhibits no epic, triumphant, or tragic

162
 il'."ru da obra dc Arthur Bispo do Ros6rio era urn campo de dcnsidade lbrmada 6asa Fsrte
ffir acumuiagio da energia simbdlica enformada em objetos. Salvo excegde$,sua
;*ingularidade espacial nio admitia circulagdo externa de objetos e demandava
iii'ilm confronto comparativocom certosmecanismose espacialidades da produEio
a Merq, o ,Ninho,o guetl,a Cel,a
[ilto ort. ocidental: a Ge.rarntelrunsh*ak, e a Monadade
ii:,p;.t,".1 IAIaoner.
iiiinicituta lAlagner, T{rrrt
I(urt Schwitters^
Schwitters, H6lio
H6Jio Oiticica..
Oiticica, Cilrlo
Cildo Meireles"
Meireles, LorriseBour-
Louise Bour
i#ois e G. W. Leibniz. Contra a tentaqflodasanalogiasarquitct6nicas,o objetivo
L#qui 6 compreendere distinguir a "casa-forte",40 lugar conquistadopor Bispo do
ii&rdrio no regime sociopolitico dc distribuiEf,,odos corpos a que estevesubme-
jriili,,.:jii--- -

fi$liao. Em suasromAnticasVoyages autourdema chmnbrs (Viagnsd aoltad.ema;,quarto)

Era seu eiogio
ffi1t8ZS;, Xavicr de Maiste fala de iivros, do mundo e do Outro.ar
L'da imobilidade e da reclusio voluntiria numa 6poca em que se trata dos relatas
l,d. ,riug.ttt. NXo bastaria a Bispo do Rosdrio encontrar o Iugar de seu corpo,
ipois seria necess6rio conquistar a "casa-forte" como a cartografia da vontade de
: pot6ncia. Seria ali o lugar de sua viagem cosmog6nica em volta de sua cela. Bm
: escuta da voz que mandava que eie fizesse com constincia, Bispo do Ros6rio
: experimenta o estado de devir.

Paradoxalmentb,os objetosde Bispo do Ras6rio n6o tinham titulo, apesarde sua &egar$tekunstwefk
precislo, de scusfich6rios de gente,de seusarquivose do ordenamentode coisas
acumuladasem vitrines. Os substantivospareciam se incorporar nas coisas,mas
estaescritanio se ctlnstituianelas.O artista tinha a certezade estarfazendouma
obra total, flr.rxodo mundo, enformaEf,,odo material existentena Terra para sua
revelagfloe apreseniagioaoscscolhidos.

obsegsiva
a,rcbhr,ag6.a
A trqjetdriadeArthurSispodo Rosdriosigniftcou douma
monurnentalarquiteturado imagin6rio.Elc pareciapoucointeressadonum discur-
.so de tipo fantdsticoque tanto predominou na caracterizagloda arte latino-ame.
ricana.E impossivelenquadrarsuaprodugio em categoriasdestanatureza.Bispo
do Ros6riotinha suasrazdesmeta{lsicas, mas tamb6miidou de forma especialcom
a concretudede sua sociedade.P.roduziuuma lespostapodticapara suabuscada
o delirante
totalidadecapazde dar contads srravisilsde mundo, entr€o meta,finico,
e o desejante.A partir dessasvaridveis,testemunhouo cotidiano. Sua colegflose
constituiuna direEflode um ponto de vertigemem que seutrabalho pudesseestax
inscrito naquilo que algunschamamdc "museude tudo",

O conceitowagnerianode Gesamte/atwftnerk,surgido cm iB49 em Daslfu'nsilwrkdw

,{akqfi, apontavapara uma arte total que incorporassea contribuigdounilicada
de todas as artes.Embora Bispo do Rosdrio n6o fizesseuma correlag6oentre as
divcrsaslinguagensardsticas,o conjunto da obra aproximaria a produEio dc al-
gunselementosquc conformam a concepg6ocontemporAneade Gewntekunstuerk,
Para alguns,o conceito incluiria Hdlio Oiticica c Robert RauschenbergSe sua
produEsofor observadasob a condigio de investimentoda libido, seri verificdvel
que Bispo do Rosirio se dedicoua construir uma totalidadecomplexa,superiordL
soma de suaspartes ou de seusobjetosindividuais.No plano mais intimo, ele se
ti confrontacom o ideal gregoque estiverana origem do conceitoda Gessffitelafixstwerk
it;l
ri.i: estabelccidopor Richard Wagner:a expressdode uma id€ia avassaladora. A homo
iri faba'Bispado Ros6rio atuou por uma incessante repetig5omodesta, que cada vez
iil construiaum objeto novo ou resgatavaum individuo diferente,como um "objeto
:i:
supremoda liberdade e da rrontade".4z nessevi€s
Era a teatralizaEi.oavassalada,
: :l

de Bispo do Ro'
deleuziano,na respo$tai ordem para fazer.No entanto,a casa-firte

163
 or tragic grandiosity as Wagnerian opera does. Opposingly, the greatnessof this
stwngcellvnll be dissolvedin the messianic futurc, where "everything will be flai. No
abyss.This is what matters most to me" said Bispo do RosArio while wearing his
I;iltal fudganmt Mantle (page 292)43.

Merz I{e incorporatedmaterials andartcfactsto characterisethenucleus inhisconstruction.

Both the ibrmal aspectsand the content held fundamental signification. lfis action
was partially driven by the concepts of "forming" and "deforming". The cflort
towards thc searrchfor the signification incorporated to his cons8uction was faccd
by its involving silence.His most obscure prcoccupations resonate in his wor! such
as the allusions to Alchemy, to Mysticism, to Hermeticism, and to Romanticism.
His method included emphasis on the process, autobiographical per{ormance,
organic unity, and aesthetic redemption. All those arguments and facts presented
by Blizabeth Gamard actually describe the historical process of I(urt Schwitters'
greatluln'<hau.Surprisingly, Gamard's arplumentsseernto perfectly adjust to Bispo
do Rosirio's discipline and productjon mcthod along decadesar.

Hardly aryone had accessto Bispo do Rosirio's sh'ongce$ or to Oiticica's studio,

For many years thc work of Bispo do Rosdrio was confined to one room, Just as
Schwitters' grcat Ma'ubau, in his middle-class apartment in Hannover, Germany.
At the timc Bispo do Rosdrio worhed in his proiect nonstop. If his archives were
reminding devices, he was himself, howeveq submerged, as a subject, to the
institutional silence ol' the 13 letters in his mcdical record. Void of meaningas.
Signifi,cation refusal could not witihold in rmreachable Hermeticism, but it
did refuse its symbolic, intcrnal logic, That permanent rn{ormationof woridly
material - emphasisedin patient embroidering; in threads spindling and irr object
accumulation'- generated a somewhat aesthetic redemption of Bispo do Rosirio's
orphic mysteryao.

In llaserfundammtais para umadefinigdodo Pntmtgoli(1964), FI6[o Oiticica comparcs his

Pm'argol|toKurt Schr,vitters'MaT,sayingthat the word, thcrc, takesup the samenature
of "specific, experimental position, cruciai for tlecorcticaland living understandins of
his oeuvre as a r,vholc"a7.Gamard has aryucd that one Merzwas already movement
in the world it set itsclfl It was a movcmcnt in that world. Oiticica saw Merz as an
"open construction". In a certain way Bispo do Ros6rio was also open and insatiable.
His lifb was dcdicated to collecting world fragments, from anatomy minutiae in his
banner I nsedthil word: in niting, to the appzuent mes$ in the "br[.c-'d-Dtuc"of some
showcascs.Every object - a fragment - participated in the scatologicalclaboration of
the ultimate meaning of an always incomplete whole.

Bispo do Rosdrio's worl< is speculm'of daily life, and includes all life's forms and
affections. That is the meaning of cathedrals as "iimited totalitics" which explains
the denomination of Schwitters' The Cathedralaf Erotic Misay, says Gamard' In
that direction, Bispo do Rosdrio's fbrmal attentron in organising the "matcrial thzrt
existsin the world" also cvidenced his lbcus on contcnts, as in his exhaustive visual
and verbal narratives on his banncrs, mystic objects, garments. Bispo do Ros6rio's
polysemic work is a world observatory..Errerything war being prepared to reach one
world uniry - thc sceneof the Parousia the final purpose of monastic art. .

Nest H6lio Oiticica's settings and Bispo do Rosdrio's strongcell might at first loolc messy;
domestic chaos triggered by useless, disorderly accumulation; chaodc mess;

164
 ':::::..
o,nadatem da grandiosidadc€pica,triunfanteou trigica,'da 6perawap;neriana.
se dissolverf no futuro mepsiinico, oncle "vai ser
, a grandeza da cnsa.forte
ibinrro. Nio vai ter mais abismo. Isso 6 o quc mais me interessa", relatou Biqpo
Roratio vestidocom seuilanto deAprzsentagdn
ftthgSna292)!n

incorpor-ava i).,obra materiais e artefatos que caracteri,itaram o nricleo de sua ffflgfz

Tanto os aspectosformais quanto o coaterido eram de significado fun-
ffi"otal. Parte dc sua aESo estava dirigicla peios conceitos de "formar" e "de-
ar". Os esfbrEospara buscar os significados incorporados em sua construgdo
o sildncio que a erlvolveu. Suas preocupagSesmais obscuras ressoam
obra, como as alusdes d-alquimia, ao misticismo, ao hermetismo e ao romautis-
iffi. S"., mdtodo incluia Snfaseno processo,desempenhoautobiogrffico,unidade
i.;iii.-o-.:^^ ^ redenEff.o
cst6tica.Todos esses
'T.^'{^" aocAc al'gumentos
e?trrlmcnfnq f}toq que
e fhtos
e nrre foram
fnram apresenta-
tntp(Fnrr,
'Oigeni"ae --l--^i^ ^.+A+i^o

iAa, oo, Elizabeth Gamard descrevem, na verdade, o processo hist6rico da grande

fu7bnude Kurt Schwitters.Surpreendentemenle, os argurnentosde Gamardparc-
e ao regimeprodutivode Bispodo Rosirio
iiiCb"r seajustarcom exatidio i disciplina
iiiiao Iongo de d6cadas.e

Pouquissimos tiveram a.ces$o de Bispo do Ros4rioou ao atelierde Oitici-

it casa-firte
ca. Durante muitos anosa obra de Bispodo Ros6riollcou confinadatm um quarto.
Era assimtarnbdm a grandeMerzbaude Schwittersem ssu apartamentode classe
mddia em Hannover.Nesseper{odo,Bispo do Rosirio trabalhavaincessantemente
em seu projcto. Se seusarquivoseram dispositivospara lembrar, no entanto,ele
pr6prio foi submergido,como $ujeito,ao sil6ncioinstitucionaldas 13 palavrasde
seuprontu6rio. O significadoera nulo.s O rechagodos significadosnfro sesusten-
tava no inatingivel hermetismo,mas recu$avasua l6gica simb6licainterna' Bssa
permanenteenfirma4fr,o do rnateriald0 mundo, en{attzadanobordadopaciente'no
enrolar de fios e na acumulagdode objetoslevavai produgdouma espdciedc re-
denEfloest€ticade um mistdrio6rfico de Bispo do Ros6rio'ad

No textoBasufundamentais paraumadefini.gdl doParangoli(1964),H6iio Oiticica com-

para o sentido c{eseuParangoliao dt MerZ de Kurt Schwitters,dizendo que a pala-
vra ai assumeo mesmocariter de "posiEfloexperimentaiespecifica,fundamentald,
compreensd,o [eor6ticae vivencia"lde toda suaobra".47Gamard observouque uma
Merqeramovimentono mundo em que sefundou. Era um movimentodestemun'
do. Oiticica via a Merz como uma "construg6.oaberta". De certo modo, tambdm
era aberto o insaci6velrepert6rio de Bispo do Ros6rio,cuja vida estavadedicada
ao recolhimentodcssesfragmentosdo mundo, desdeasminriciasda anatomiano
estandarteEupreciso destasf:alaarasesrita,at6,a aparentemlr6rdia de"bic-d-btac"de
algumasvitrines, Cada objeto- um fragmento-participava da eiaboraEloescato-
l6gicado sentidouiLimodessatotalidadescmpreincompleta.

165
 and ultimately, tropicalist entropy. fdiorrhythmic ernotions may bc found in the
Edenic search inHilio Oiticica's Ninhos (Nrttl, in Bispo do Ros6rio's theogonic
anxieties, or in Louise Bourgeois' stunning "dysfunctionality" of afl'ections i1
Celfs.Nl substantive dimensions. H6lio Oiticica's Crela&r presents itself as the
"summit of human desires", as in Eden, open to rnylh, Ninlns, at the end, is the
exit to reach beyond the setting where empty cells are created and whcre one
would look for thc nestling of "the drcam to consftuct the totality that is erected
as bubblcs of possibilities", Every individuai would be the corcin a lei*surc-nest,
declared Oiticica'r8.

"Whatever is oppressive, socially or individua-liy, is in opposition", said Oiticica

ambimtal(1966)4'g.ln O Pri"tioneiru
about his Progrunza da Passagem, Bispo do Ros6rio
announccs his Edenic world: free of diseases,psychiatry or sadness.That world
sounds likc Pindorama's matriarchy in Oswald de Andrade's Man{estoAnh'opdfago
(192S):"Happiness is the casling-out-nines check". In Bispo do Rosdrio's f,utureflat
world reality would also iook anthropophagrc, "frce of complexes,free of madness",
which is to say,free of psychiatrists,"frce of prostitutes, free of penitentiaries", asin
the Manifesto. Oswald de Andrade wraps up: 'Against social, dress"d-.,p, oppressive
real life, as in Freud's registers", Lygia Clark also rejects Freud as a process: '1!'e
reject the Freudian idea of man being conditioned by his uncorucious"so. In 0
Priionetro da Passagem,Bispo do Rosirio adds: "psychiatrists, thosc, oh, not in my
time, no!". There was boxing, his nelekure.Bispo do Rosdrio would have been
lighweight champion in South America.

The bed (pagcs284-285), and ib veils, laces, and embroiderings is the sumptuous,
sheiteringplace for the sublimation of Bispo do Rosirio's platonic love {br Rosangcla
Maria. In another project, a nest is upside down inside a cagesr.The ob.iectis again
dcdicated to Rosangeia Maria, the non-corresponded love. Finally, thc throne is a
chair equipped with chains and gadgetsfor serum translirsion (pagc 193). The only
inscription: intern. It is a rough object in opposition to affcctive abandonment The
object is immobiiised as in a straight jacket or a chcmical dosg. Bispo do Ros6rio
addressesthe definitive loss of the object of desire - the unreabhed target * fiom
Romanticisrn to the rage of rejection. Affcction finds no shelter. This nest is not ftlr
resting The only Othcr to nestle and not suffer the pain of abandonment in this
strongcellwould be his own shadour

Ghetto Roland Barthes writes that the room (the very dimension of the sh'angcdf is "a
secluded, individual space:klllion, cella: fundament of idiorrhythm", that is to say'
it leads the phantom of "living together"s2. In response to any and all apartheid,
Cildo Meireles defined "ghetto" as a category of diiferences. In his work, it is
'An information centre, the place where knowledge circulatcs, and thercfore will
move in higher speed than its sr.rrouudings, and eventually, trigger an inversion,
thus becoming richer, [...] inside fthe ghettol information flow will be higher than
outside"53.Meireles illustrated a money bill with the image of a Native and a
schizophrenic, also making aliusions io ghetto models: "Indian reservation" and
"Psychiatric Institution". Two models illustrating the hardships of "living together"'
The title of Meireles' booh is defined by its "face vafue" as ,(rn Cruztho $974'
1978)5'1.One is here faced by an anti-Oedipal elcment in the relationship betweAn
capitalism ancl schizophrcnia in Gilles Deleuze's and Felix Guattari's tradition' The
artist is engaged in axiological criticism, sincc Brazilian society rated those gTottPs
down to zero.

t6 6
 ilii:l:ir,,,
( includente de todas as fi>rmas
ifir.l" Birpo do Rosdrio urna slteculndo cotidialo,
tiJiih"r da vida. Esse€ o sentidodas catedraiscomo "totalidadeslimitadas'lque
im a der.ominag5;ocate&aldaMishia E 6thade schwitters,diz Gamard.Nessa
iiiao. n cuidado formurl de Bispo do Ros6rio na organizagflo do "matcrial existente
fiUrrdo" tamb|m denotava o foco nos Contefidos,como na$ exaustivasnarral"ivas
li*ii dos estandartes,objetos misticos e foupas, A obra polissdmica de
" ""rn"is
OrIo Rosirio 6 um observat6rio do mundo. Tudo seprepa.ravapara uma unidade
iiiundo, que seria a cena da parusia, objetir"o final dc uma arte mondstica.

de Bispo do Ro.sdrio
ripiimeira vista, os ambientes de H6Iio Oiticica e a casa-forte NEmho
:!::.:l .

ffi"rium parecer uma esp6cie de mafu6, um caos domEstico gerado por uma inu'
'dcumt lagdo em desordem) uma bagufrga ca6tica, enfim, a entroPia n"opicalis-
iiiEmoEdcs idiorritmicas podem ser encontradas na busca ed6nica das Ninhasdc
io Oiticica, nas ansiedades teog6nicas de Bispo do Rosirio ou na atordoante
ifnncionalidade" dos afetos nas Celk (Celas)de Louise Bourgeois' Sio dimens6es
bstantivas. A Crelseq-deH6lio Oiticica se ofetece como "fpice dos desejoshuma-
ao fim, como a saida
i,i,i[f.',,comeno Eder, rumsuaereaabertaao mitor e osMinhos,
;iparr o al6m-ambicnte,onde se criam c6lu]asvazizs,em que sebuscariao aninha-
iiilft"to "ao sonho de construElo de totaldade que se ergue como bolhas de possi-
$'ifudud.r". No ninho-lazer cada individuo seria uma c61ularuater,afrtmaAiticica.a

;i','foa" o quc h6 de oprcssivo, social e individualmente, cstd em oposigdo", diz Oi-

(1966).+'g
,ici"a is posigdesde seu hagramaambientel da Pa'rsagem,
Em O Prisi'aruiro
anuncia$eumundeectdnicoo
clclRosd,rio psiquiatriaou tristeza,
$emdoenga,'
Anh'apd/ago
pareceserc0rn0no matriarcadode Pindorama,anunciadoMangfesto
(192S)de OswalddeAndradel"a alegria6 a proradosnove",No futuromundo
de Sispo do Rosdrioa realidacletamb€mpareceriascr ankopofigica, "scm
,,1:ptutro
jt,,
complexos, sem loucurao', isto 6, sem psiquiatras, "sem prostituig6es e sem peni-
uli tenci6rias". como no Manifesto, Oswald de Andrade arrcxnata: "Conffa a rcalida-
i1 de social,vestida€ opressora,cadasuadapor Freud." Lygia Clark tamb6mrejeita
tr Freudcornoprocesso:"Recusamosa iddia freudianado homem condicionadopelo
Bispo do Rosfrio diz
passado inconscientc."so Ainda em O Prisiontiroda Possagem,
i1"psiquiatrasrnos mcustempos)n6o existiando", Havia o boxe,que era seurelazer.
i1 Bispodo Ros6rioteria sido calnpeffosul'americanode pesoleve'
:ii,ti
O leito (p{ginas 28+-285), com seus vdus, rendas e bordados 6 o suntuoso lugar
aconchegante da sublimaglo do amor platdnico de Bispo do Rosdrio por Rosan-
gela Maria. Noutro objeto, um ninho cst6 de cabega para baixo dentro de uma
gaioia.sl O objeto de novo 6 dedicado a Rosangcla Maria, o amor sem correspon'
d€ncia. Por fim, o tfono 6 uma cadeira aparelhada com correntes e apetrechospara
transfusdo dc soro (pigina 193). Sua fnica inscrigfio 6: estagidria. E um aparelho
rude contra o abandono afetivo, Seu objeto 6 imobilizado corno numa camisa dc
fbrEa ou por uma dosc quimica. Bispo do Rosdrio lida com a perda definitiva do
objeto do desejo, alvo inatingido, do romantismo i ira da rejeiEdo. O albto n6o
cfl.contfa refugio. Este ninho nio 6 repouso. O rinico Outro a se aninhar sem dor
seria sua pr6pria sombra'
de abandontr nessaeasa-iforte
l:,

RolandBarthes escreveque o quafto (que 6 a dimensdo dacasa-forte)6 "espago @gEetg

fechado inrlividual; kilti,otr,cella: {undatnento da idiorritmia", isto 6, conduz ao
 "NIy opinion is null", insists thc anonymous witness 1n 0 h*ianeilo da Passagem, the
film on Bispo do Ros6rio. "Zeto" as moneta-ry value hlpotheticaJly conveys the
difference-free economic world. Similar to a financial Eden. Bispo do Rosirio did
not admit selline his objects. lIo\,vever, he did accumulate coins in a car (page I g6).
The model hcrc is not avault, but circulation. Moreover, the coin car is, in a certain
way, in the same order as everyrthing else that has been systematised fbllowing
symbolic value - never their exchange value (zrlthough it could be usage value),
such as combs, pieces of giass,bus tol<ens.

In the art of bodies social distribution Bispo do Rosirio displaced himself from
the secludcd, under surveillancc objcct condition to a space political being. It is
a negotiated statlrte that undergoes category imzention, and based on individuals
and things, also undergoes rvorld solidary reorganisation. The fact that Bispo do
Rosdrio confined society out of his work is remarhable. Had he been aware, his
view would be seen as a parody to Machado de Assis' Casa de Orates in literature.
Nobody would be admitted in without his permission <lr invitation. 'I'he shongcellis
an infra-ghetto, with no escapeor rcfugc, At its bordcrlinc, howeveq his manoeuvre
actually conveys the assertive of a ghetto inside the ghetto.

GeEl The strong cell is Bispo do Ros6rio's cell-room. The monastic condition o[ his ce]i -
a state of absolute institutional seclusion- is the place where he listens to the voice
that spells out his mission. Aftcr all, the social I'ate of seclusicn seemsto havc been
decidcd by Benedictine monks on Christmas Eve in 1938, whcn Bispo do Ros6rio
saw himseif as the chosen one.

In Louise Bourgeois' percepfion the word Cell - t|.e title of a series of her
instaJlations - conveys multiple senses which she illustrates with prison cells,
communist celis, ancl organic cells"s. Oiticica saw every individual as art matrix
unit cell. Bourgeois' spaces are connected to the microphysics of power with its
seclusion principle, hierarchised architecture, and discipliaary equipment, based
on which Michel Foucault discussesthe "cells" in his book Wg*', Punir Nascilnento
dn fuisdo56. Bourgeois' CeIl may be the place dwelt by amnesia, Iack of listening,
abandonmenl, incommunicability, resistanceto abuse,and the voice of hysteria. In
a counter march, Bispo do Rosdrio's celi must contain the vastnessof beings in the
unconciliatory directions extracted liom the ambivalent meaning of the verb. And
yet, there is a fcrula-shaped object covered with blue thread. The cell is the sign and
the emblem of an infiltrating - since there is no escape - punitive system to then
emerge in Bispo do Rosirio's afi as the return of the oppressedin the institutional
field of punishment.

Louise Bourgeois quotesJean Genet when saying that the family is the first prison
cell. She also notes a contradiction in the emotions of one of her Cal/s:the space
is a "prison cell", and yet, one cannot escapeand does not even want to escape".
Hcr suffocatingidiorrhythmic conditiorr, Bispo do Ros6rio's universe does not seem
to be suffocated from confinemcnt or abandonment. In his fight against confined
immobility Bispo do RosArio resorts to less excessin his production system.

There is no logic in the affectionatc confrontation in the worh of Bispo do Rosirio as'
one finds in Louise Bourgeois' Cel&.Bourge ois' Cells"imparts diffcrent types of pain:
physical, emotional and psychological, mental, and intellectual, Whcn is emotional
pain turned into physical pain? When is physical pain turned into emotional pain?"5?

t6 B
 ,Eiiiriii
i;lil2ptasma dc "vivcr juntos".5z Em resposta a todo apartheid,Cildo Meiretes esta-
belece.t qa cAterrol"ia
liiji r..to""rr
,i:iiil categoria das
rlar diferenEas .orr'lrl "pueto",
diferenc2q como "{nrr.to". quc
firre em
t.m sua obra 66 ttloeal
s:ra ohrn "local de
de
iilii.concentrag5ode infbrmagdes. Lugar por onde o saber circu-lae portanto adquire
iii locidade maior que o entorno dclc e, no flnal, provoca uma inversf,.o,tornando-
iiiilre mair rico. 1..._J no interior fdo gueto] haverl uma circulaglo de informa@o
j,it,'mo;o.quc no exterior dele".53Meireles ilustrou um bilhete monet6rio com a ima-

lit'g.* de um indio e um esquizofr6nico,em aius6estambdm aos modelos de gueto

iiii:r*r.tur indigena"e "inslituiES.o
psiqui6trica",Silo doismodelosde uma danagd,o
de "viver juntos", O titulo da obra de Meireles 6 definido por seu "valor facial"
como ftro G'uzeiro(1974-1578).54Estd aqui um indice antiedipiano das relaEdes
entre capitalismo e esquizofrenia, na tradig5o de Gilles Deleuze e Felix Guattari,
O artista faz uma critica axiol6gica, pois zero era o valor atribuido a estesgrupos
ii:r:l;il:l:oela sociedadebrasileira.
iiiii;:,:

litt
iir,ri. iA
l:j;i!::: opinilo 6 nula", insiste o testemunho an6nimo de O Prisioneit'oda Pa.r.ra-
:it:ri,
-irrhu
il:ii::liri gem, o fr)rne sobrc Bispo do Rosd.rio. 0 valor monet6rio "zero" constitui hipoteti-
ffi:i
ijiiri:
camente o mundo econdmico sem diferenEu. E n* 6d.n financeiro. Bispo
"o*o
do Ros6rio n[o admitia vender seus objetos. I\o entanto, fez uma acumulaEio
de moedas em um carro aberto (pigina 196), O modelo n5o 6 o cofre, mas a
circulagdo. Ademais, o carro de moedas cstd.,de certo modo, nesta mesma ordem
de todas as demais coisas, sisternatizadaspor seu valor simb6lico, nunca por seu
valor de troca (maspode at6 ser por seu valor de uso),como os pentes,os pedagos
de vidro e as fichas de 6nibus.

Na arte da distribuiEio social dos corpos, Bispo do Rosdrriodeslocou a si pr6prio da

condi€eo de objeto enclau$urado sob rrigil&ncia a sujeito politico do espago.E um
estatuto nesociado que passapela invengfio de categorias e, a partir dos indivlduos
e das coisas, pela reorganlzagdo soliddria do mundo. 6 marcante que Bispo do
Ros6riotenha confinadoa sociedadeforade sua obra. Se tivesseconsci8ncia,sua
posigio poderia ser vista como uma par6dia da Casade Orates da literatura de
Machado de Assis.Ningudm entravasem suapermissiloou convite.A caa-fortet
um infragucto,scm escapeou reflrgio.No entanto,no limite, suamanobrase afir'
ma comoo guetono gueto.

A casa-forte6 o quarto-celade Bispodo Rosdrio.A condiEdomondsticade suacela Gela

- um estadode definitivaclausurainstitucional- 6 um eqpaEo
de escutada voz que
lhe determinaa misseo,Afinal, estedestinosocialde clausuraparecelhe ter sido
tragadopor mongesbeneditinosna v€sperado Natal em 1938,quandoBispodo
Rosirio seviu escolhido.

ParaLouiseBourgeois,apalavra Cell{Cdlula), titulo de uma s6riede instalagdes,

se
referea mirltiplossentidos,que cla exemplificacom celasde prisdo,cdlulascomu-
nistase c€lulasorgAnicas,5s Oiticica via cada sujeito como uma unidade celular
de Bourgeoisest[o vinculados] microfisicado pode4
matricial da arte. Os espagos
com seuprincipio da clausura,arquiteturahierarquizadae aparelhosdisciplinares,
entre os quaislVlichelFoucaultdiscuteas "celas" em seulivro Wgiare Punir:Nasci-
mmtoda Prisda.si Uma Celade Bourgeoispode ser o lugar da amn€sia,da falta de
escuta,do abandono,da incomunicabilidade,da resist€nciaao abusoe da voz da
histeria.l{a contramarcha,a cela de Bispo do Ros6riodeveri conter a imensid5o
do ser, nas direEsesinconciliiveis extraidasdo sentidoambivalcntedesteverbo.
Ainda assim,existeum objeto revestidocom fio azui que tem a forma de palmat6-

t5 9
 r#
,,il!
i1i
. iil
'::i-;j
'i i
'?
,rrii
: t:l

Anct yet, the last thing one would experience in Bourgeois' or Bispo do Ros6rio's
,ii
work is insipidity. Dailiness without strong, imaginary-plastic occurrences is not a .tii

characteristic in neither. Dayto-day may be projected into criscs of estrangement.

personal rhythms conftonting everyone else's in ttrc network of alterities. Celrir'
exhibits the urgcncy to integrate, merge, or disintegrate, adds Louise Bourgeois.
Bispo do Rosdrio's obiects dwell time. It is the spacche usesto "introduce" the future
world. He had been confined to waiting, more than anydring else'

ffioarad Arthur Bispo do Ros6rio considcred building his own house. Thc insulficienry he
fclt in his cell-room was mole than physical. His repertoire of blue thread objccts
lists numberlcss tools related to civil construction activities; plumb iine, painter's
brushes,trowels, saws,triangle, among many others. Bispo do Ros6rio accumulated
his material in showcasesand cars, all carefully separatedby categories:bricks, floor
tilcs, cobblestoncs, roof tiles, and glass. Techniquc, society, " material that exists
in the worlcl", ancl individual aspirations are not dissociated in that construction.
the
Barthcs emphasises that "a home cannot be understood if not related to
- its architectufal folm *- must also
sacred"s8.Therefore, his placc irrespcctive of
shelter prescntation objects and the regaliaof thc Choscn One'

4.5 cm)
Thc desirctrl haveahouse is corweyedthroughalongwood object (11 x 50 x
covered with cement and glasscullcts. A distressingobject. Bispo do Rosdrio notes
in his pcrsonal prcrject:"+3+- how am I to build a wall in my backyard" (page 122)'
Lining up r,vallswith sharp glass cullets is a construction technique to keep strang€rs
away. An emblematic mechanism for property defencc in peripheral capitalism'
Conscquently glass cullets cagy a marking, symbolic load in Brazilian art. lvens
Brazil
Machado created{bur huge ccment objccts coveredwifh glasscullets:a map of
(Mapa Mudp), a rug, a boomerang, and dildos. fuIachado accurately constitutes Ibur

distressingspace-bodiesof death pulsion ancl their nefwork of subjectivity: Brazilian

gfoups,
socizrlbrutalify is in that insidious map; the non-functionality of rninor social
the conflicts with the
in their from-work-to-l'amily routinc, is on the hostile rug;
Other are in the boomerang a perfidious component in the equation subjcctlobjcct
of desire; ancl solitucle, self-destruction, of aasturbation are in the dildo.

that
Thosc works by Ivens Machado, ancl Ciido Vleireles' Ah'auls are evid,etrce
the very nature of materials carries significant load. In Meireles' social geometry,
other
the pewersion in the relationship transparencylopacity of glass cullets and
matcrials leads to misconceptionsTdestructions, and peril, That is also under control
in Bispo do Rosfrio's experience: a closed box with pieccs of glass(pagc 266).Attnuis
materiaiisedfrom the noise of cellophane,wrinkledpaper bali, which was recurlent
to
to the idea of metals and mcmory. A fietd dwelt by ambiguous objects, Iecurrent
materials'
the notions of prohibition. But air, looks, or hsat wili pass through those
only
Vicwers move iiom a'lowcr threshold, as a linc on the muscum floor, where
which only vision can go
psychological tension is present, to the glass, through
throrrghto.Flows of desire, the return of the oppressed,but above ali, constricted
o4
freedom. From the inverted transparency ol glass, the resulting impenetrability,
glass ctillets
inverseiy,reclusion. When Bispo do Rosdrio makes the proposition that
also
should be on his house "bacbzard wa1i" he means to defend his rear door while
Gaston
keeping his front door open, cosy, and welcoming In A Poiticado Espago,60
cell, ir is
llachelard elaborateson the phenomenology of the house, saying "it is the
poetics
the world". This is the mutual convcrsion elaborated by Bispo do Rosirio's
of objects, mirroring art and existence
 iii' ,:;.:r

l*,Cela 6 o indice e o emblema de um sistema punitivo quc se infiltra, por nd,o

i.er.upuE para surgir na obra de Bispo do Ros6rio como o retorno do reprimi-
campoinstitucionaldasPenas'
iri r
Bourgeois cita.Jean Genet ao afirmar que a hmilia 6 a primeira cela de
ij e observa uma contradigdo nas emoE6esde uma clesuasCehu:o espago6de
cela de prisflo, e, no entanto, voce n5o pode escapar e nem mesmo quer es-
. E suusufocantesituaEdoidiorritmica. C)universode Bispodo Ros6rionEo
sufocadopor confinamentoou abandono.Contra a imobilidadeconfinada,
do Rosdrio recorre a uma economia da desmedida em seu regime produtivo.
ii::'airr
i'i i:,
hi uma l6gica de enfrentamento afetivo na obra de Bispo do Rosdrio como hi
i#i;Ctlas de Louise Bor.rrgeois.'As Celas",diz Bourgeois, "rqltesentam diferentes
ip'osd* dor: a fisica, a emocional e psicol6gica, e a mental e inteiectual. Quando
emocional se transforma em fisica? Quando a fisica se transforma em emoclo-
:,nul?".utNo entanto, a irltima coisa que se pode ter experimentado na obra dc Bour-
ou de Bispo do Rosirio seria a insipidez. Em ambos, nZ.ohi cotidianidade
iiis[* u"otrt""imentos pldstico-imagindrios fortes. O dia-a-dia pode ser prcrjetado em
iil:iiir:
Trata-sede ritmos pr6prios que se op6emao dos demais
ffir. d" estranhamento.
i;ifii rede de alteridades.Nas Ce\asexistea prem8ncia de integra4 fundir ou desin-
ffirar, completaLouise Bourgeois.Jd o iugar dos objetosde Bispo do Ros6rio6
;itt**po. E aqueleespagode sua "apresentaEflo"ao mundo no futuro. Ele estcvc
itonfinado sobretudo i espera.

,ArthurSispodo Rosdriopensavaem construira pr6priacasa,Haveriaumain- l$lonada

O repert6riodosobjetosde fio azul
mai$que{lsica,do quarto-ccla.
isu{ici0ncia,
iiregistrainirmeraslerramentasrelativasaosoffciosda construgdocivill fio de pru-
mo, rolo de pintor, p6 de pedreiro,serra,esquadro,entrc muitos outros'Bispodo
Rosirio acumulouo material necess6rioem vitrines e caJros,cuidadosamente se-
telhase vidro.
paradospor catcgoria:tijolos,ladrilhcspara o piso,paraleiepipedos,
T6cnica, s<lciedade, "material existenteno mundo" e individuais
aspiragdes nflo
((neo
estflodissociadosdessaconslrugio. Barthesaccntuaque sepode compreen'
der a casasemrelagBocom o sagrado",sB ?or isso,tambdmseulugaq independen'
tementeda forma arquitet6nica,devesseguardar os objetosda apresentagEo ea
regalindo Escolhido.

O desejode ter uma casasefixa num longoobjetode madeira(11x 50 x 4,5 cm)

cobertode cimentocom cacosde vidro. E um objetoaflito, Bispodo Rosr4rioanota
seuprojetopessoal:"+34 - como 6 gue eu dwo tazerum muro no fundo da minha
casa"(p6gina 122),Cobrir rnuroscorn cacosde vidro pontiagudos6 uma tdcnica
con.strutivapopular que impedc a entradade estranhos.E u* mecanismoemble-
mdtico de defesada propriedadeno capitalismoperifdrico.Conseqiientemente, ca-
cosdc vidro t6m uma cargasimb6licamarcantena arte brasileira.IvensMachado
fez quatro enormcsobjetosem cimento recobertoPor cacosde vidro: um mapa
do Brasil {o MapaMuda),um tapete,um bumerangtl€e um consolador.Machado
constitui,com precislo, quatro aflitivoscorpo$-cspaEos de pulslo de morte e suas
redesde subjetividade:a brutaiidade social brasileira est6no insidiosomapa; a
ndo-funcionalidadcdos pequenosgrupos sr:ciais,do trabalho i. familia, est6no
tapetehostii;os conflitoscom o Outro est6ono bumerangue,um indicep€rfido da
equaES.o sujeitolobjetodo desejo;e a solidlo, a autodestruiEdoou a masturbagio
estf;.ono consolador.

t7r
 If beings are not Lcibniz strict monads, with no doors or windows,6r tire
impenctrability suggested by glass cullets around the house, howcver, will nol
hindey ailusions to monad. With his few dozens of ORFAs and showcases,Bispo
do Rosdrio proposes the phenomenology of "cell" and "world" construction. Its
rnaterialisation would buiLd the impenetrable, the non-extensive, and perception.
When contemplated based on Leibniz as read by Deleuze, Bispo do Roslrio
established a connection befween the two labyrinths: the double folding of the
mattcr and the folding of the soul 62.There is bod2and ymmetryin the anatomy of
I NeedThis WordsIn Witing. The inconclusive challenge posed by Bispo do Rosdrio
might have brought together an impenetrable, interlude-free world. "This is where
I should be introduced from", he said in O hisioneitoda Passagan.

Time Bispo do Rosirio span the ra'heeland told stories,As the epic poet of Northeastern
Cordel, he was qpinning his wheel of fortune (pages 202-203) for the oral transfer
of his "sfones", as in FiUta do Rei nda nhtdoufia aiagemem eomputhiade um acadhnicags
(Son of King never went to school travelled with an academic). The rory'ruin the
work of Bispo do Rosirio is a puzzle of multiple experiencesand dimensions along
time. Bearing no title, no theories, or chronologl6 Bispo do Ros6.rio'sobjects do not
bear dates either. His time markings seem to have been the revelation and the call
on Christmas Evc, 1938.

Bispo do Rosirio's empirical action was to embroider storiesrather than writing them;
to form objectsby spinning thread rather than appropriating ready-to-use things; to
collect endlessly,to produce endlessarchives.As he formed matter, he also lbrrned
time. The monumental task is an evidence that Bispo do Ros{rio was influenced by
Kurt Schwitters, which, accordrng to Hans Richte4 was non-stopping proliferation,
actually "24-by-7 PRO-ARI '6a.Bispo do Rosirio's mattericwill generatedextencled
time. He knew that everything would take a lot of time. The institution r'r'orks
towards de-acceleratingtime. His o<tremely careful architecture required obsession,
In repetition time he constmcted the difference, Bispo do Rosirio sewed hundrecls
of buttons inside the imaginary mesh of fabric, Thc carefully supPort was previously
mounted by stitching pieces of clotb and lining the opposite side to create the field
for the orderlyproliferation of buttons. In an analogouscircumstance,H6lio Oiticica
spent one night nailing hundreds of nails on a piece of wood when his mothcr l'lras
admitted to hospital in serious condition. The accumulative action is the samc as
was Bispo do Rosdrio's.In both, continuous action sublimatessufferingwaiting time.
Subsequentactions were guided by the call to action.

ii;
t72
 obras de lvens Nlachada e Afl'auis,de Cildo Meireles, indicam que a pr6pria
|d$t=ro dos materiais tem $ua carga significante, Na geometria sociai de Meirelcs,
iibt*"rrao da relagio transpar€ncia/opacidade com cacosde vidro e outros mate-
ll*$t-rq*1" pcriculosidaO: U^tfl" {ue tambem tttl
:"1** 'T"1* "o."jto91o."u
de Bispo do Ros6rio numa caixa fechada com pedaEosde vidro (p6gina
ri6ncia
66),An'aolssurgiu com o baru-lho de uma bola de papel celofane enrugado, reme-
iilo n id6ia dos mctais com mem6ria. E u* campo constifirido por objetos ambi-
i6'q que remetem a nog6es de proibigi.o. No entanto, atrav6s dessesmateriais, o
ii;:'o olhar ou o calor podem passax O espectador vai de um limite inferio4 como
ffia linha no solo de um museu,onde apenasest6presentea tenslo psicol6grca,
56o os l{uxosdo desejo,o
ii oidro, atrav6sdo qual apenasa vis[o pode passarse
feforno do reprimido, mas, especi:rJmente,a liberdadc constrita. Da transparOncia
livertida do vidro resultam impenetrabilidade ou, no inverso, redusdo" Quando
ispo do Ros6rio propfie que os cacos de vidro estejam no "muro do fundo" de sua
i.Casa,ele quer defender sua retaguarda e, simullaneamente, manter aberta e aco-
;",,ihedo.aa entra.dada frente de sua casa.Em A Poiticado h\o{o,uo Gaston Bachelard
dbora uma fenomenologia da casa, a"rgumentando que "ela 6 a c67uIa,ela 6 o
ffindo"; essa6 a mirtua conversioelaboradapela po6ticadosobjciosdc Bispodo
6rio como o espelhamento de arte e existdncia.

ilSe o ser nio 6 a monada cerrada leibniziana, sem portas nem janeias,6l a impene-
#abilidade prcposta peios caccs de vidro em torno da casa, no entanto, nio deixa
i,,'de pcrmitir alusdesi monada. Com algumas dezenasde ORFAs e vitrines, Bispo do
irj,iRosdrioprop6e a fenomenologia da cons{ruEdoda "c61ula'' e do "mundo", cuja ma-
r terialidade construiria o impenetrivel, o inextenso c a percepgdo.Pcnsado a partir
perspectivade Leibniz retomadopor Dclcuze,Bispodo Rosido estabeleceu uma
ii'concxHo entre os doisiabirintos:asredobrasda matiria e asdobrasda alma,6?H6
ittcorhoe almana anatomia de Eu.PruisaDestarPalnurwEsaita. Talvezo desafioincon-
icluso
de Bispodo Rosdriolbssemontar um rnundoimpenetr6vele semlacunas."f
daqui que eu devoserapresentado",disseele em O Prbi,oneiro d.aPassagan.

Sispo do Ros6rio girava a roda e contava hist6rias. A moda de um poeta 6pico de Tempo
cordel nordcstino, ele girava sua roda da fortuna (p6ginas 202-203) para contar
oralmente "e.rttlria!', como Filho do Rei ndo eshdou.fezaingan an companh,ia
de um o,ca'
O carpusda obra de Bispo do Rosfrio 6 um qucbra-cabcAa dc mfiltiplas
dhnico.63
experidncias e dimens6es do tempo, Sem titulo, tcoria ou cronol.ogia, os objetos
de Bispo do Rosirio tambdm nio t8m data, Seu marco temporal parece ter sido a
revelaEdoe o chamado ir.svEsperasdo Natal de 1938,

A aE[o empirica de Bispo do RosArio compreendia bordar hist6rias em iugar de

escrev6Jas,Ibrmar objetos com fio enrolados cm vez de se apropriar de coisas
prontas, colecionar sem fim, produzir arquivos infindos. Tanto q"ranto enformar
a mat6ria, o artista tambdm cnforma o tempo. A mouumental tarefa indica que
a produtividade de Bispo do Rosdrio tinha algo da atuaE1o de Kurt Schwitters,
a qual cra, segundo Hans Richtet uma prolifcraEdo que nlo parava nunca, era
"PRO-arte 24-horas-por-dia".6aA vontade matdrica de Bispo do Rosirio produziu
um tempo estendido. Ele sabia que tuclo the tamaria muito tempo. A instituiE1o
atua para desacelcrar o tempo. Sua arquitetura de csmero requeria obsessio.Foi no
tempo da repetiEio que construiu a dif'erenga.Bispo do Rosirio pregoll centenas
de bot6es dentro da malha imagin6ria de um tecido. Antes, montou o suporte com
esmero) ccrzindo pedagos de pano e hrrando o verso para formar o calnpo paru a.

ti
 Bispo do Ros6rio did not indulge in time symbols through mechanic
objects suc'
as a sand clock, clocks, and metronomes. Let alone entertaining melanchoty
*t .r_,
faced by the inexorablc flow of rife span, as occurred in Richard strauss,
Last Fon.
l.'1: 'songs,or Bdvard Munch, in his representations of his own melancholy Gcling: FIe
never tried to retain time, but to keep memory alive through his archives.
ro, nirp"
do Rosdrio, howeveq tirne is vital irnrestmentin life pulsions and against
r p.onuUt.
precipitation of existential entrcpy.

Bispo do Rosdrio knew that his accumulation had to be productive. Incessant

dme
did not a"ilow deconstruction. Arthur Bispo do Ros6rio put togetJrer
a survival
strategy through the productive occupation that also allowed his dialogue
with the
institurion.

Not counting on suspensivetimg Bispo do Rosd.rio wa$ a .,counter-penelep",r

o.
an "anti-Louise Bourgeois". He would not undo, unthread, deconstruct, or
desfov
what he had created. He would never resonare ,,_Bourgeois-penelope-spider"
in his
rage and jealousy outbursts, when he used to say:"I da,r ando,I redo,,,and he
riteraly
desLroyedto restart, on a certain day Bispo do Rosdrio seemsto have startcd
the
weaving of his existential web, and went on weaving it with no interruption.
That
upJains why one seesnon-synchronism, duration, and simultaneity in his
creation.
Uncnding repeatedgeslures.Durabilif is convcyedby apluraliry of manifestarions,
of rhyLhm towards the definition of memory lo,"u. The same mu_ltiple gesture
of
the thread: embroidering joining threading scrving fixing nailing juxraposin$
correcting writing drawing saying through the visible. Bverything one
single
suture of the being, That is why his worl<, as visual and tactile as it may
have b.ln,
belongs to time more {han to space,as pcetry and Music, Itwas in
time only rather
than in space, that beings would be able to build their existence. And
survive while
having to exist among ofhcrs.

His eistential condition shows that Bispo do Rosirio had to produce duration
in
the field of libido, more than to accelerate or retain chronology time. one
could
taik about atemporai temporality in Bispo do Rosdrio's process65.
Materials were
inscribed under a scatologicalpoint of view His final phitosophical
destiny wa*sto
participate in world representation. Bispo do Rosdrio's unending action
was sieged
by waiting - his messianic prcsentation in the parousia- and Iacunary paradoxical
fime towards an impenetrable, Iacuna-free world.

The ultimate incision was institutional seclusion,where time holds

neither past nor
futurc, just as in slavery times66.\Aihat time expectations could there
be for those
who experience a dead end or no-returni) stella do patrocinio, unlettered
poet and
intern at theJuliano Moreira colony, says,in one of her poems,
that i,time is gas,
air, empty space".

Econornies when walterFirmo photographedhim, Bispodo Ros6riodirectedthe imagesand

definedhow he shouldbe photographed.Ir was cmciar that photographswould
be takenof his shadow--the simplestand the mostpsychoiogicalof Jountes.s,rch
intricate production sheltersa "man who rivesfor his writing" * Bispo do Rosirio
would be thinking under Barthes'perspective here.

Jean-JosephGrou-xestablishedanalogousrerations,such as writing/work, sense/

value in tle article "Marx et I'Inscription du travail,'. Bispo do
Ros6rio was

t74
 i,bri"t tud" pelo chamado ) agio.

Ros6rio ndo se dcdicou i. simbolizagio do tcmpo atrav6s de objetos me-

como a ampulheta, os rel6gios e os metr6nomos. Muito mcnos para ele
melancoLia diante do curso inexorivel do tempo da vid4 como ocorreu
iito* Richard Straussdasfuah'o Ohima,Cangdes,ou na obra de Edvard Munch,
"*
ii,to* r.rm representaEdes do pr6prio sentimentomelanc6lico.Ele nio buscoureter
te*po, rnasmantef a mem6riavrva em seusarquivos.ParaBispodo Ros6rio,no
iii:ro
ili tttuoto,o tempo6 um investimentovital naspulsdcsdevida e contrauma prov6vel
llprecipitagdo de entropia existencial.

,#Bispo do Rosdrio sabia que tinha quc acumular produtivamente. 0 tempo inces-
:i!liil::: 1 rr
iii:ttsunten*o admitia a desconstruEio, Arthur Bispo do Rosirio montou uma estrat6-
ii''gru a. sobreviv€ncia atravfs da ocupaglo produtiva que tamb6m se constituiu em
ii, szu didiogo com a instituigio.

Sem tempo suspensivq Bispo do Ros6rio foi uma "contra-Pen6lope" ou uma "anti-
':,:.,'.
i:rr-LouiseBourgeois". Ele nflo desiazia, destecia, desconstruia, destruia o que fazia.
ui:Nunca faria eco com a "Bourgeois-Peu6lope-aranha", em seus acessosde ira e
*I
iiii cirime, que dizia: do, Iundo, Ireda" ("Eu fago, deslbgo, rcfago") e, literalmente,
iil,,j
iii destruia
' para rccomeEar, Um dia, Bispo do Rosdrio parcce ter iniciado o tecido
ii de sua toia existenciale continuou a fa'a€-loscm interrupqfio.Por isto, v0-sen6o-
*incronia,duraEfioe simultaneidade de obras,O rcpetidoSectofoi
na elaborag6o
do ritmo d definigflo
;i'i sem fim. A duragfrotem uma piuralidadede manifestagdes,
: &olotusda mem6ria,O mesmogestomultiplodo fio: bordar,juntaqdesfiar,
coser,
:t, consertaqpregar,sobrepor,ocultar, corrigil escrevefdesenha6dizer atravdsdo
visivel.Tudo era uma frnicasufurado ser,Por isso,suaobra, por maisvisuale titil
que fbsse,6 maisdo tempo do que do espaEo, como a Poesiae a Musica.Era s6 no
tempo, ndo no espaEo,que o ser poderia construir sua exist6ncia'E sobreviverd
exist6nciacntrc outros.

Suacondigfloexistencialiirdica que)para Bispodo Ros6rio,foi necessdrioproduzir

duraEflono campo da libido, mais do que acelerarou retet o tempo da cronologia.
Pode-sefalar de uma temporalidadeatemporaldo processode Bispo.doRosirio.6s
Os materiaisestavaminscritosnuma 6tica escatol6gica.Seu destinofilos6ficoul-
do mundo. O n6o parar mmca de Bispo do
timo era participar da representaEd.o
Rosdrio estavasitiado pela espera sua apresentagilo messiAnicana larus'i.a- e o
-
paradoxaltempolacunarpara um mundo impenetrivel e semlacunas.

O grande corte foi a clausurainstitucional.Ali, o tempo 6 sempassadoe futuro,

anilogo ao tempo do escravo.ccO que sXoas expectativas de tempopara os quevi-
vem urna experi€nciasemsaidaou retorno?Stellado Patrocinio,umapoeta igrafa
internada na Col6niaJulianoMoreira, dissenum poemaque "o tempo 6 o g6s,o
aq o espagovazio".

Quando l,ValterFirmo o fotografou,Bispo do Rosirio dirigiu asimagense definiu ffieoxmomEa

como devedaser fbtografado.O fundamentalpara ele era que sefbtogralasse sua

t"t5
 emphatic. His objects were not designed for selling. Baudrillard, in his turn, says
"men are not lrec from their objccts; objecrs are not free liam mcn"67. Bispo clo
Ros6rio highly a-nd solely rccognized the symbolic value in his objects, althorrgl
irrcducible to the state of merchandise. With liruow do Dinheiro(Monqt Tru), Ci1do
Meireles crudely exposesthe "55apbetween exchangc verlueand usagevalue, s1 else,
between symbolic and real value" in work of art statute and social inscription. If his
worl< was kept outside the art market wouid, then, Bispo do Rosirio consequently
be off Art lfistory? Groux denounces "the complicity between logocentrism arnd
in money andin merchandise'68.'fhe production of Bispo do Rosirio has
'Jftichisme'
bcen oll capitalist market process and its distribution and appropriation instzrnces.
'Ihat was not the ideological apparatus to project sensesto his work. Bispo dicl not,
in Ronaldo llrito's view, walk down the aisie "where all art work char:nelsthrough
in its intent to be considered art"6e'

Gonelses6o ln order to undefstand this production as "art" we must aPploach it having the
artist in mind, as pnlposed by Nictzsche for art in general, T'herefore, art must bc
approached under the view of Bispo do Ros6rio, to whom ^ny art concept seems
to have been irrelevant.

Fsv artists left such impacting marh on Brazilian cultural milieu in late 20th century
as did tsispo do Rosirio. Lygia Clark's and H6lio Oiticica's inltuence seemsto have
reached artists as far as the internationaLl scenario. One could cven talh abor-rta
Bispo do Ros6rio effect on Brazilian art70.Not a mere, extensive mapping, but a
brief reference to four paradigm cxemples: Leonilson, Rosana P'alazyan,lValter
Goldfarb, and Rosana Paulino, taken from Bispo do Rosirio's exhibition RegisLros
detlfiinha Passngan an Eartlt'), at the Escola de Artcs
ltela Ten'a(Recordsfwn ryt Pas.rage
\fisuais do Parqtie Lage, Rio deJaneiro, 1989.

Leonilson embroiders and writes - at high affectionate voltage -" records of

subjectivation, alterity relations, and his feelings towards the world. Rosana
Palaz,yanstartecl with an analogy of family embroidcring, her way to rnake ends
meet as a sur,,ivor from the genocidc of Armenians. Lateq she embroidcred her
mourning after hcr dead brother, working on pieccs that had belongcd to bim in
his childhood, Walter Goldfarb uscs the pictorial value of embroidering in vr'or*s
that addressthe holocaust of thcJcws and their historical conditions, without losing
sight of .Jewishwritings. fn ordcr to cope with racist prejudicc, Rosana Paulino
usesfabric and threads: "Threacls that change scnsationsby sewing ner'vmeauings,
transforming a banal, ridiculous object by changing it and making it an clcment of
violence,of repression"T].

The generosity of a stern Arthur Bispo do Ros6rio captured olrr eye [o leaci
us through the field of cstrangement. Know-how was a mllst, as well as not to
allow, along the production process, deviations that could have him referrecl to
violent therapies at thc Colony: lobotomy, clectroshock (clcctronarcosis) therapy,
9r chemotherapy. Physical intervention, as proposed by Bispo do Rositrio,
should be substituted with words, images, things, uncnding doing. Prodr"rcirtg
is self-guiding, not only in response to madness bqt to confronl the Pqrcltiatric
institution. Psychoanalysisru-ling over the discourse of unconsciousncss errlcl'gc's
as critical counterpalt rn'ith another Viennese, Karl l(rauss: "Psychoanab'sis is
the mental diseaseit intends to cure"?2.Bispo do Ros6rio's politicai challengc lvas
to srlpcrpose institutional practices. He appropriated thc empirical notion of the

t7 6
 ,i,:i'somb.a,o mais sirnples e psicol6gico dos duplos. O que hi nessaintrincada pro-
iii'd,rSao 6 um "ser total da escritura" - Bispo do Ros6rio estaria aqui pensado na
i;rperspectiva de Barthes.

,i:i.,:,::
itil,r'Jeun;JosephGrou-x estabeleceurclaEdcsanal6gicas como escritura,/trabalho, senti-
!r,.;!: 1

ii', dolvalor no artigo "Marx ctl'Inscription du travail". Bispo do Ros6rio era enfb.tico.
iii:'i Seusobjetos ndo eram feitos para venda. Baudrillard ainda diz que "o homem nlo
iiil, C il"r. de seus objetos, os objetos nio s6o livres dos homens".67Bispo do Rosirio
ijl, reconhecia, em alta conta, apenas o valor simb6liico em seusobjetos,mas eram
$iif; irredutiv.is i condiEd.ode mercadoria,Comlruor doDiltheira,Cildo Mcirelesex-
i pde com crweza a "defasagcm entre valor de troca e valor de uso, ou entre valor
simb6lico e valor real'l no estatuto e na inscrigfio social da obra de arte. Se sua obra
permaneceu {bra do mercado de arte, estaria Bispo do Rosi.rio conseqiientemente
;.. fora da Hist6ria da Arte? Groux denuncia "a cnmplicidade entre logocentrismo
, e 'fttichiwa' do dinheiro e da mercadoria",ds A produEio de Bispo do Rosdrio es-
teve fora do processo de rnercado capitalista c dc suas instAncias de distribuigdo e
apropriaElo. Nlo foi estc aparelho ideol6gico que projetou sentidos para sua obra.
Bispo nio passoupelo canal, segundo Ronaldo Brito, "por onde estdo obrigados a
passar todos os trabalhos de arte, na medida em que pretendam s€rlo".6s

o'arte"devemosnos aprcrxirnar &omcl$s6es

Para entendermese$taprodu$eocomo dela nos
termosdo artista,como propde Nietzschepara a arte em geral.Pcrrtanto,eia deve
ser aprximada nos termos de Bispo do Rosdrio,para qu€m um conceitode arte
parccetel sidoirrelcvantc,

Poucosartistasno final dn sdculoXX deixaramuma marca t6o impactantesobre

o meio cultural brasileirocomo Bispo do Rosi{.rio.Lygia Clark e H6iio Oiticica
parecemter marcadoat€mesmomuitosartistasna cenaintcrnacional E, ademais,
po$sivelfalar de um efeitoBispo do Rosd,riona arte brasileira.?o
N6o se trata sim-
plesmentedeum mapeamentoextensivo,masder6pidamengio a qualroexemplos
paradigm6ticos:Leonilson,RosanaPalazyan,Waiter Go.ldfarbe RosanaPaulino,
tomadosa partir da moska Regishns fu MinhuPasagern pelaTa'ra,de l3ispodo Ros6-
rio, na Escolade ArtesVisuaisdo ParqueLage no Rio deJaneiro,em 1989.

Leonilsonborda e escreve,em altavoltagemafbtiva,registrosda subjetivagio,das

rglagdesde alteridadee seusentimentodo mundo.RosanaPalazyanfcz, primeiro,
uma analogiacom o bordado da hmilia, um ganha-pio da sobreviventedo geno-
cidio dos armOnios.Depoisbordou o luto da perda do irmflo morto, trabalhando
sobrepeEasque lhe haviampertencidona infbncia.Walter Goldfarbusabordado
com valor pict6rico em obrasem que lida com o holocaustodosjudeuse suascon-
digdeshist6ricas>semperder de vista a noE5ode cscriturajudaica.Para enfrentar
o nrcconceitoracista.Pauiino utiliza teci.dose linhas: "Linhas que modillcam o
 Colony tenitory as his intuitive notion aI' Jmhitus1\.To crcatc his work meernt to
conceive artistic practices,despite the asscmblageof durabie therapeutic devices
as an arsenal around him, Among thcm art therapy, which in the late lg50's was
reduced to nosologicalaspects,sponsoringno o(hcr concern of an expressiveorder,
as onc can infer from the lbllowing quolation: 'Art so used shows the incclgnito
aspects of infirmities"l4. It was Bispo do Ros6rio's responsibility to articulate
rymboiic po\yer to its limit and in his own fashion. The term hahitnt, introduced
by Pierre Bourdicu andJ.-C. Passcron,ieads to thc investigation towards Bispo
do Rosirio's methodology to produce possibilitics while faced by the regulatory
system of social organisation at ihe psychiatric clinic, lbrough its se]f-structured
practices under durable mechanisms. In Bispo do RosSrio's habins hrccs are not
mere\ physical; above a1l,they are concentrated in symbolic power; thcy acquire
fresh potency l"rom its adaptability and negotiation. In that sense) art was not
simply bcing presented to the world, but conveying individuals' survival' Bispo
do Rosirio's value does not residc in the ability of either criticism or Art History
in absorbing or cataloguing his production. Hc is not to bc perceived through
theoretical control. Here, criticism acts as a logocentric proccdure through which
Aesthetics would replicate what in social space is the systcm of authority at tha.t
specilic clinical environmentTs. It is at this point that Bispo do Ros6rio's oeuvre
gains Ibrce in questioning: Wlry is it so intriguing if it lacks any sort of thcoretical
supporti)

One musl respcctfully recognise that the iife as lcd by Bispo do Rosirio was a
requirement for his art creation. Merleau-Ponty made a similar comment oll:
C€zanne and his painting Life, as required from Bispo do Ros6rio, wztshis own
mode of living. He might have said, as Odilon Redon wrote in the conclusion
to one of his works: "I know what I am doing". As Bispo do Rosirio declared
in his film, his art work "Is for those who can see; those who cannot see do not
belong". o

178
 l$6"tiao, cos[ura"ndonovos significados, translorrnanda um objeto banal, ridiculo,
,i,''diLruo.ln-o,tornando-o um elcmento d.evioldncia, de repress5o."7l

fi,generosidade de um severo Arthur Bispo do Rosdrio nos tomolr pelo olhar para
iiios conduz.ir pelo campo do estranhamento. Era preciso saber {hzer e n6o admitir
|idesvios em seu processo de produEso que pudesse redirccioni:lo para as terapias
iftl"ntut na Col6nia: a lobotomia, a teraPia do cietrochoque (eletronarcose)ou a
iquirnica. Contra a intervenEio rra carne, Bispo do Rosdrio prop6s a substituiEXo
Produzir6 guiar-se,n5,o
|illftlo verbo,pcla imagem,pela coisa,peio faeerincessante.
i|up"nur em resposta)r loucura,mas contra a instituig6opsiqui6trica.A reg€nciada
lirpsicandlisesobre o discursodo inconscienteemersecomo c.ontrapartidacritica
*i,,'com outro vienense, Karl Krauss: 'A psicanAiise 6 a docnga mental que ela pre-
r,,:,,tendec\trar."12O dcsafio poJitico de Bispo do Rosdrio foi sobrepor-sc i:s pr6ticas
iL:iiinstitucionais.Ele se apropriou da noEio cmpirica do territ6rio da clinica, para
iiiir,'u-u noElo intuitiva dt, habihts.T3Produzir sua obra significou engendrar pr6ticas
ii'i artisticas, malgrado o cor{unto de dispositivos terap€uticcs dur6veis, como um ar-
i senal A sua volta. Entre elesestavaa arteterapia, que na final dos anos 50 sereduzia
I,aos aspectosnosol6gicos, scrn prcocupagdes de outra ordem cxpressiva, como se
o'^ assimusada, no$ mostra os aspectosi:rc6gnitos de
ilpode inferir dcsta citaEi.oi
^rte
: enfermidadcs".Ta Coube a Bispo do Ros6rio articular o poder simb6lico ao Iirnite
a seu modo. O termo habikts,introduzido por Pierre Bourdieu e.I.-C. Passeron,
'i "
permite-rr,rs investigar como Bispo do Ros[rio constituiu suas possibilidades de
:: produgeo fi'ente o sistema regulador da organizagio social da clinica psiqui6trica,
i, com suaspriticas auto-estruturadas sob mecanismos durivcis, Na habins dc Bispo
ii, do Rosdrio,as{brgasnflo sdoapflra$fisicas,massobrctudo$econccntramno poder
simbdlico,adquircmr:utrapot&nciapor suaadaptabilidadec negociagflo'
Ncssc
nfloeraa arteapenas
selltid{), ao
daapresentagflo mundo, rrra$deuobrevivtncia
do
i *ujeito.A validadedaobradeBispodoRosdrion6ortsiden6capeeidade daei{tiea
ou da Hist6ria da Arte em ab$orverou catalogarsuaprodugeo.Ndo se trata de
produzir suaaceitagloa partir do controiete6rico.Nessecaso,a criticaatua como
um procedimentologocdntricopclo qual a [st6tica rcplicaxiaaquiloquc no espago
social6 o $istemade pocierda pr6pria cl{nica'?5E nsrsernomentoquc a obra de
i, Bispo do Ros6rio ganha{brga de indagagdo:por que 6 tf,,ointrigantejustamente
quandomaispode lhe {hltar o respaldoda'lleoria?

f precisoreconhecerrespeitosamente que a obra de Bispo do Rosarioexigiaesta

vida para serproduzida.Isso6 algo que Merieau-Pontydissede C€zannee de sua
pintura. A vida exigidade Bispodo Rosarioefa um modo de nela senEle poderia
ter dito como Odilon Redon que escreveunuma conclusio sobreseushabalhos:
"Sei o quc cstoufazendo."Sua obra, Bispodo Rosdriodiz no filme, "r5para quem
cnxerga,Paraquem n5o enxerga,nda dhp6". u
 | ,,lVlincirinlrtr" (196?). In: Izgida xlt'angeitu.Jl.io 27Paris;Denocl/Gonthier, I 978, p. 58. AII rcferenccs
BSotes de .]arreiro: Ud. do Ar*or, 1964, pp. 252-257. to Bataillc from this publication.
2 "Untitlecl" (196t). In: Claes Old.enbwg An (1949). ln: Henri fuIafura. Esetitot
'B "Testemrnho"
t!:nthologt. Germano Cclant (Curator)- New e R$lexdwsabreArte. Org de Dominique lourcadc
York The Guggcnhr:im lVlusem, 1995, p, (1972). Trad. de iVlaria 'I'eresa Tendciro. Lisboa:
Ertitora Ulissea, s/d, p. 243.
1,20. "An art that gta:al,tult ttot knowingit is art at alP'.
r In drc errly 1960's Arhur Bispo do Rosirio 2$ ivlauricc lvlcrlca*Ponty l;'Oeil e[ /'e,$dt (l9til).
starts working as thn "handyman"at Paris: Gallimard, 1965,p. i6.
Amiu
30"Sur la monochromic". In: fr;erff&in. PrLris:Centrc
Psydriatlic Clinic irr Rio de Janeiro' IIe n"as
isolatecl, ancl liviog in the attic, where he Georges Pompidou, 1983, p. 194. 'I'he :tcron)41r
unfolds a goocl portion o.f his pt'odttction. ORIA may have been created by lvlorais for Bispo
a H6lio Oiticica also avoided having his lyork do Rosirio's blue objecis a{tcr another aclDnFn:
dispersecl,aud alwayskept it with him, Rarc pieces Yves Klein's II(8.
q'ell sokl while he r.r.asaliv<:, Apparendy, Oiticica xl See Picmc Restany lltes Klein. Paris: Hachettc,
had onJy one.cxhibitiou at a commercial gallc.qz 1974,p. 47.
5 'i{rt'hur Bispo do Ros6r'io c a instrtuiglo", sx Reltliti$n r difirenda. Trannlation y lrancisco
In: Por que Duchatnf? Sio Paulo: Paqo das IVIonge.Barcclona: [clitorial Anagmma, 1971,p. 58.
33 "Haunted by Things", \n: Bruin of the liarth's
Artcs Itari Culh:ral,1999, pp. I02 and i09.
6In Iz bntissmtntdeIn langte.Paris:Edinons du Scuil, Btll -'tlrt, Musatntq and t[u Phantunrtr d ModtniE,.
1984,pp. 63"69. lvlinneapolis: Univcrsity of lVlimesota, 2003, p, 2.
7I"e 3'rSonrc rvr:ocl or paper objects rvere left apparently
ltlai:ir du lexte.Parisl Edition.s tlu Seu"il,1973' p. 25.
I lr.: Iuhtsatm cJ murz. Nova York: Museum of unfinished, with object simulation lcft visiblc.
35Paris: Editions I(lincksicc\ 1974.
Ivlodern Art, 1999. " On onoleael"wryaiaineinrtallainn ir
t6 7w La lltaoh*ion.n(rialilb no 12, d6c, 1929.
a colleainn9f thittgsaoking cultutal andhislotital paints ol
37Untitlcd, 1961, op cil., note2.
ililtpagc* !rychi6, ethnic,vntal, andpolilical dishtbane*"
e !'{Uodtled'r(1961i. In: ClaesOldnburg An Antholog;t. 38"TVecnnpresm.vthingsa{4 Irystoltltinghfc'.tcour.sc"
3s See dissertation by h,Iatthew Barr enLidccl:
Germano Celant (Curator). Ncw Vrrk Tlt
Guggcnheim Musem, 1995, p. 3. .tUl Oldenburg's JeanJ'ima Rrynaud's Pgcln-Objects and 0tlm' [4/orkt
quotations in this article are untitled. English (196+1974). The Orda ail Objut qf Madtcss.Order
mtdness was also discussccl b]' Knsama- Thc
original version; "dizry oJ'all the thingsthathaucintereste'd
mein a peiod of linu otr'tlu ktwer East Sidf' . discussion reachcd Br:rzil ns rhetoric imagery li"om
r0 "C)rl anjos vio abrinclo a forrnosa Iina pluma its poetical piuador
a0Erprcsion usedlry an anonl.mousin al interviclv
cspuna esponja por onde sai o verbo estrondo",
Interviei.r' to Hugo Denizart, asper Irciant Hidalgo, to describe Bispo do Rosiuio's roont irr Hugo
In: Aihur Bi:po dollosdrn: o scnhor dt>labirinto' Rio Denizart's film 0 hltinncira tla Paxagan.
dc.Jureiro: Rocco, 1996, p. 139. 'tr Such aspccts in th hook by Xavier dc A'Iaistt
tr See HERK-ENFIOFI apply to nispo cle Rosirio's biography.
lhrilo. Emil fbrman. Ptio
cleJanciro: IN;\P/!'LINART:0 +2Deleuze; pleasesecNotc 32, p. 59,
ancl ]vluscu dc Artt:
f s In the fi lm O Pritinnn o tla Pungenr (-t982), by Hugti
IVlodcrna do Rio deJanciro, 1984.
12SeeNote 75, f)enizart
13Translated & Ifiut Schuitta''s Merzbau, 'fhe CathedraloJ Etoic
$ Paulo Neves. Sdo Paulo: Cosac &
Naift 2002,p. 26. &Ixzry. I'{ew Yolk: Princcton Architectural Prcss,
r'1"Flcslr ancl Otherncss". In: Ontologltandllleri\ in 2000, pp. &11. This paragraph is a paraphrasecl
I[ahau-Panf. Galcn Johnson e lr,Iichae] ts. Smith synthesisfrom Gamard's book.
(org.). Evanston: Northwestern University Prcss, +s Thc anou)'mous interviu'ee says in the iilrn 0
1 9 9 0 ,p . 1 2 . fuirinneiroda Passagem: "IvIy opinion is null."
15In this section, all rcfclcnccs to bocly parts irr a6'fhe adjective "orphiC'is an nllusion t'o classical
sricntilic ot vctnautl:r language were taken I'rom Orphism, with no rcference to the acran)'rn ORll{'
Bispo do Rosirio's barurers, 47 ITGUEIR-DDO Luciano; PAPE Lygia e
x' HHRKENI-IOIIII Paulo.
"Retrn6 ou a bclez.ac o SALOIvfiq \{aly. *i de novembro dc l96f'. 1n:
dulgtrr &> presente", In: Ro.wngela,Bsrzd. Sio Panlrr: tlsltito aograde labrirzto.Rio dcJrinciru: Itocco, [986,
EDUSq 1097,p. 139. D . OJ.
u Those namcs are a possibleindication that Bispo tB G'chzer.Plcasc seepreviorrsNote, pp. 113-l I 7,
do Rosirio readnewspapers.He diclusuallygo to thc +e"Tulhn 1966 Posig[o e Programa". [bil]an,pp.77'
library lvhere he collected consistent infr:rmation ftrr 83.
his Oeography, for instancc. $0"N6s Recusamos" (1966).In: L2gia Clar*. Rio de
tB Please sec Hugo Denizart's photograph in the 1980,p, 30.
Janeiro; IIINARIE,
catalogue"Rcgi6esdo I)esejo". Rio deJanciro: 1984. 5r Infonnation as provided by l{rilson Lizatu,
le As pcr inlormation from lVilson I-i.zaro to thc Argu.st"2006.
52 Corstooiau
author in Arrgust, 2006. iuntos. Translatir:n lry l,tyla Perrone-
x I;rr: I4gfo Cia*. Colel:lo A-BC. Rio de &Ioys6s.Slo Palrlo: lvfmtins Rrntes, 2003, pp. 95-97.
Janeiro:
ITUNAI{IF, 1980, p.30. All tluotahons by Barthes in this chapter lvcrc tzikcrt
21EsquemaGenl da Nwa Ol$etiuidade. Rio dcJanciro: from this strulce.
Ivluscu de r\rte fuIoderna do Rio de.Janciro, I 966. s3 Cildo trIeireles, in an intcrvrclv to Paulo
22O1tcit., note 13, p. 26. Herkenhoff; January 14, 1999.
23 'Torma e Pcrs<rralidacle"(1951), In: llinzensdes tl Cruzeilr lvas thc currency at the rime Meirelcs
tia A*. Ria de Janeiro: lvlinist€rio da Educagdo e pmduccd his lvork,
s Odginal interview to
Cultunr, 1964, p. 90. Jerry Golovt>y, *lenr1
2{ Bispo do Rosdrio also uscd thc unif(rms of other Geidzahler, and Ral.rnond Foyc, Scptcnrber'6,'199 1'
Scott
pcople. -t\uthor's liles. Coultcsy of .]eny Gorovoy and
IIEIDEGGER, [,Iartin. A Oigun da Obra dt Lyon.
'?5 5c Translation by Ligia Ponde Vassallo. Petrr'>polis:
Arlc. Trad. de Nlaria da ConceiEio Costa. Iisboa:
Edigbcs70, i990. DditoraVozes,1977,pp. 136.
5 "Alihur Sispo do Rosrirjo. In: GzllEftlzl: Revista t BOURGEOIS, L,ouisc. "On Cclls". In: Carnegic
de arte. Sdo Paulo, nu 17, p. 122, 1989. Internatianal, I4nnc Cooke and lvlark l'rancjs

tB0
 tc "r\rt}lur Bispo do ltosdrio. In: G,{,I,ERZ: Revista
(1962). In: Lqlda tsbangeim.Rio de Nstes
,Ed. do Autor,1964,PP'252-257 de arte.Sfrofaulo, n" 17,p. 122, 1989.
Int Clnes Oldahttg AnAnthologl'. 2'Paris:I)enodl/Gonthicr; 1078,p.59.'Ibdas as re-
rjtirlo" {1961).
Nwa Yolk: 'lhc Gugge- fcrindas a Birtrille lbram extraidas dessaobra.
itino Cclant (curaclor).
2B"Testemunho" (1949), In: Henri Iulatisse.I*ctitos
Mrrsem, 1995' p. I ?0. No original: "an arl that
:ib aotknoainsit is ail al alt'. e Rejcsda sobtaArte. Org. dc Domirrique lburcadc
inicio dos anos 60, Arthur Bispo do Ros6rio (1972). Trad. dr: N,Iada Teresa Tendeiro. Lisboa:
itu t.obo[tn. como "faz tudo" na Clinica Pedii- Editoru Ulissea,s/ d, p. 2+3.
zeNlaurice Merleau-Pontii Ll)€il et hsqril'
'A.nrirrno Rio de .|aneiro, ondc mora isolado no {1961).Pa-
,,Desdobraboa parte dc sua prcdug5o' ris: Gailimard, 1965,p. 16.
30"Sur la monochrorsid'.ln:Ihes Elein Par-is;Centre
Oiticica tamb6m c'viiou dispersar sua otrra,
ibndo-a consigo. Raras lbram as cbras vendidas Gcorges Pompidou, t983, p. 194. 16,possivelque a
il"ida.Orticica parece ter realizrdo s6 uma expo- sigta ORFA construJda por Mrrrais para os objctos
:ii,lir'iicio ern gaieria comercial' em azul dc Bispo rkr Fos5rio lenha se inspiradcrna
Btjp: do_R,]u"* e a.instrtuileo"'.In:'f'ol sigla IKB de Yves Iilein.
iiil.r,,ll+ttrrut
i;ii,:diic: h$Jnnll. S5oPaulo:Pagoda*s ArtesItafi Cultu' 3r Ver Pierre Restany. l1ter Klcin. Paris: Hachettg
ii;l;il; 19nn,pp. 102e 109rcsptx:tivamente. 1974,p.47.
|#int I" bruitt"uent dcla largue. Paris:Editionsdu Seuil, t2 Reltdiciltt e rliJirmcia.'1'rad. de }iancisco A,Ionge.
iiiii1.984, pp. 63-69' Barcelona: $ditorial Anagraxra, 1971,p. 58.
j3
i",:i.:l:ta ptaisAdutexle.ParisiEditionsdu Seuil,1973, p. "Hauntcd by Thingt". In: Btuin oJ'fu Earth's Body
25. -ArN Musanm, and thel*antasns of Modrrn$,. \'tnnea-
'i.l;,:,9;i1tt yruru* as musa.Nova York: lvluseum of iVIo- polis: Univesity of lvlinncsota, 2003, p. 2.
saAlguns objetos de madeira ou papel ficaram apa-
i;dbrn Art, 1999. No originall "On oaelael ny aihine
: : : : ia. :, t t , :
iiii!:'ii*talktion :
is o coll.edinn.
--tr.-1--_ _i !L:----_ ---r:--
of thingserokingcultwal- . . 1 \ , ^ , - t and
--) histo- rcntcrnente inacabados, deixando a nu a simulagdo
,.:^I^

tiiul poirtt o1't[ippage* psltchit,ethnic,senn\ anl political do objeto.

iiiiiL'disturbalues;'
:iiiiiq"S""r titoro"(l96t). In Clazs
ili.i:ic".-u*o Celant (curador). Nova York: The Gugge-
:iiiiiriirhei*Musem, 1995,p. 3. Todos os textos de Olden-
liaburg citados neste artigo nflo tdm titulo, No originul
bm inglcs "diar2 of all frc thingsthat hate inta'es'tetl
i:i,,.:.:atraindof titnconthchua EaslSidd',
i,'o "Ot utt,o* vio abriodo a forrnosa fina pluma cs' da ordem tamb6m ft>i apontada na obra de Kusaru.
.:;l: puma cspotia por onde sai o vurbo estrondo", em
ri.i:i entrcvi*ta a Hugo l)cnizart, conlorme Luciana Hi-
i dalgo.lnt futhur Bispodo Rotlrioto senborilo Labirin'
i'i to. Rio dcJanc'irolRocco'1996'p' 139,
11Ver HBRKENHOFFI Taulo' ErtrilFoman.Rio de
:i
ii:JanetotINAP/FUNARTE c l\4useude Arh IVIodcr'
:aa do Rio deJancirc,1984.
tzYer non 75i4fa'
tt:,
t3 Tradng[o de Par:]o Neves. Sf,o Paulo: Cosac&
i1: Naity,2002, P.26'
i4'lsleshandOthsrnes*" andtlkeril"rin
, lw Ontology
ClalcnJohneonc lvlicha€lS, Smith
trIorlaau-Ponp.
(fi*grr,),
LvanttonlNorthwertsrnUniveniNy Prcu,
l$00,p, 12.
rrNestaseg6o a parterdocorpo
i nsrefcr€ncirs
toclas
cm linguagemuicndficaou rrernacular foramextra{'
dasdo estandartede Bispodo Rosdrio.
eo
's HIKKEAIHOFE Pauto,"Renn6 su a beleea
dulgordo presente",lntRlsangelt Renn6, SiaPaule:
EDUSB1 99 7, p. 139,
r7A prerengade$tccnomec6 a posslvelindicagi.o
de quc Bispodo RosAriofosceunt leitor dejornah'
biblioteca,de onde teria retirado
0le freqiientava,
informagdesconsistcntcs pam sua Gcografia,por
cxemplo.
18A prop6sito,ver a fotografiadc HugoJ)enizartno
catdlogo"Regi6esdo Desejo"'Rio deJaneiro:1984,
r! Conformeinformagflodel4ti]sonL6,?aro40 autor
em agostode 2006.
20ln: LygiaClar'fr.Coleglo ABC' Rio dcJaneiro:FU'
NARTE,1980"p.30.
2t F,squemaCral daMoaaAbjetiridade.Rio deJanciro:
IvlnseudeAlte Moc{ernado Rio deJaneiro,1966,
22Op cit,,notz13 supra,p,26.
2s"Formae lersonalidrrde"(1951)'In Dimensdes da
lde. Rio deJanciro:rvfinistdrioda Educaqioe Cul'
tura,I96,i,p.90.
2aBispodo Rosdriotambdmusouo uriformc de ou-
traspes$oas.
25I{OIDEGGER, It4artin.A Oignt. da ObradeA$e.
1iad. de Maria da ConceiqioCosta.Lisboa:Edi'
gdes70,1990.
3' Paris; Edidons Klincksiecls,1974.
OLlenburg AnAnthologt' 3EIn: La Rtaolulionsurfialistuno I 2, d6c. 1929.
37Sem titulo, 196i, op cil.,nota2.
3B,.1,1/e canlneseruetlings onlt futstoppkgQrt'scoatse."
seVer a tcsc de fuIatthew Barr intiuilada:
Jean-Pia're
mein REnaud's Pycln-Objets aad Othq lltorkr (1964-1974)'
Tfie Oiler and 1bjectof Madnes.r.Aqnesti.o da loucura
A cluestio chegou d critica no Brasil sob forma de
imagem ret6rica por sua forga de paradoxo po6tico,
€ lxpressdo de um entrevistado rrndnimo para des-
uever o quarto dc Bispo do Ros6rio no filmc O fh:
sinnaloda Parsagarr,de Hugo l)enizart'
ar E,lres alpecbs do livro dc Xavier dc Atlaistre se
nptcam biograficamontc A SisPo dc RosArio'
al Deleuzelver nata32 ntpa,p,59.
''3No filmc O hisioneindaPusagan(1982),de Hugo
IJenizart.
e Kurt SchuitteftMa'ebau,TheQatlsdralof Entio lt&'
ld,;u,NovaYo*i ?rin*cton ArchiteeluralPress,2000,
pp, B-l !, Erncpnrdgtelo6 umalrntele0mpan{fiasc
de$apaeiapm do livro elcGnmard,
{! O relbrido €ntrevistadoan0nimo diz no Slmc 0
hisianairo "Mflha opinido6 nula,'
daPar,tagen;
a4O adjctiw "6rfico" aludeao Orfismoclisrico,nflo
fazendoquatquerrefer0ncia i,:igla OXIA.
{7 FIGUEIITEDO Luciano; PAPE Lygia e $ALO'
i\dAq Wary "l de novcmbrode 1964".Tn:Asfin
so$nndelabbinh.Rio deJaneiror Rocco,1986,p, 65'
+sCralaE&',Ver notaantcrior,pp, 113-l 17,
rr(Julho1966Posiqflo c Programa". Ibidcn,pp,77-
83.
30"N6r Recusamos"
{1966).In: Qga Clar,t,Rio ds
Janeiro:I''UNARTE,1980,p. 30.
5r As informagO* foram fornecidao
.por lvilson
Ldzaroem agottode 2006,
32Qonouiaejunto.r,lL'rad,dc icyla Perrone'fuIo;nds.
SdoPaulo:lVlartinsFontcs,?003,pp.95-97.T"odas
ascitaS:OesdeBarthcsncstecapituloforamextraidas
destalonte.
53Entrevistade Cildo A,Ieirelesa PauloHerkenho{f
cm 14dejancirode 1999.
5+Cruzeirocra a moedabrasileirana 6pocada rcali-
zaEiodo trabalhodeMeirelcs.
55Entrqvistain€dita a Jetry Gorovoy,Hcnry Gel-
dzahlere RaymondFoycem 6 desetembn) de 1991.
Arquivosdo aritorpor cortesiadeJcrry Gcrovoye
ScottLyon,
56'Iraduqlodetigia PondeVassallo. Petr6polis: Edi-
toraVozcs,1977,pp. I 36,
 (Cilrutors), Pittsburgh: Carnegie lvlrrseum of Art,
1991 , p . 6 0 '
sr ()otrto tiotr junlo.r. Trauslated by Leyla Penonc-
Mop6s. Sdo Paulo: Vlaltins Foutcs,2003, pp. 95-97.
r\ll quotatiorrs by Barthes in dris chapter n'ere taken
from tliis sourrr.
tt'
"l.,ugnres cle J)ivagacj6n - llna cntrsrista com
Cililo lvleirclcs", por Nuria Dnguita. Iu Aldo
Adcirchs,Yulencia: lVAIVl, 1995,p. 29'
@Tlarrslation hy Antonio <la Costa Lc:rl ancl Lidia
Santos Lr:al. Rio de Janeilo: Lir.rar{a [ldorado
Tiiuca, sem data, p. 52.
61Pleasescs DELEIIZE, Gillcs. ,4 Dobq I*thil4. e o
Bannco(1988).Carnpitzr: Papyrus, 1991.
62lbidan.
tB 'l'he. title is paintccl on tbe whccl cwcr, lvc have
rc.sistcdttr the homokrgical tcmptation <f cornparing
this wheel ta the rcadyxlala Rotla fu bicitlaa (1913) ol
to the. Black covcr in lVlarcel f)uclramp's'Traacller's
.fildins iten (1916),
6{
"Hanorer l)a<Ia". In: Dada, Ad and Anti-art.
Translatcd by David Britt. I",ondres:Thames and
Hud.son, 1966,p. 138.
6 Dxpression used bi1, Elizabedr Gamatl in the
Introduction: Ifurt SzfuoitlefsM$4bau, The Catlnd.mlqf
EroticMLsuy, Plcasr:scc Notc 44.
s Ver KARSZ, SauL "Tirne and its secret in
Latin America", ln Tinu and tle ?hilosophi.es. Yaris:
UNF*SCq 1977,pp. 155-l tj8.
5?Or. rir., Ndte 27, p. 58.
tit .lvldrx et l'lnscdptiofl clrr trarraif'. In: Thdorie
d'ensanble. Paris:Seuil, 1968, p. l98.
6eNatconeeisna, ilrtke e rultfiaa do prcmetoconshulitto
brusilehu. Rin deJaneiro: fTUNARTD, 1985, p. 16.
t''l'he introduction of Bispo do Rosdrio, unkno!\'n
in thc. Brazilian sr:cnalio in latc l9B0\, rvas the
rxult of l-Iugo Denizirrt's tenacity iu the GrsLplace,
and then ol' Lula !\randerleyk - both altis(s $'ith
conncctions to psychothel?py as well.
?f On rvorks exhibited, Paatana 97. Siio Paulo:
IvIlWI, 1997.
72" ltE choanallt'xis tlu matnl illnus il.pur|orts lo cwe".
73PlcascsecBOIJRDIEU, Iienc; PASSERON,.f,-C.
La Reproduction. P'.rris:l4inuit, 1977, p. 72.
7{ "Exposigdo clePiruura dos Enfermos da C.J. ivl."
(Relat6rio de 1959) [no signature]. Jst Boletimda
C'oldttinJuliauo Morz#-a.Scwigo Nacional de l)ocngas
Mentais,vol.V tf l,pp. 12-l4,jan./jul. t951.
75I always imagined rvriting a review on .c\rthur
Bispo do Rosdrio that would be exclusivcly
dcclicatcd to his :ut, rvith onc singlc, cxtrcmcly
hrng foutnnte rrrr his existential condition at
tbe end. Ivluch has been rvrilten orr the work of
Bispo do Rosr{rio. Some revrews are positive. My
r<vicw lvould stancl for thc stratcgic ncccl to sr:e
him exclusively tnder the aesthctic prism, rather
than conlinecl to the iuternal sta(utes of Jtdiano
Morrita Colony. Such strategic need u,ould only
rB2
emerge aftcr nrnny harl dcdir:aterl to thc analysis in thc psy:hiatri<: or ps)rchoanalytical pxicluctiol
of that procluctiotr thotrgh tlie most divcrsc prisrns- by Bispo clo Ros{rio. Contralily, the purposc u'orrltl
LighLening up the pathway would noiv sponsor the be to polcmicisc - r'vlrichdocsnct rnean dcnl' - 11i11
contemplation of nc;lvfor:uscs.It lvould appamtly bias, At this pnint in timc orre would, thcn, have
bc :r rcvicrv td oppose lhe processof psychiatrisin.r; to recognise sone olher dynamic conscqner:cesirr
Bispo do Rosdrio's productive action as u,ell as any the alt of Sispo clo Roslrrio - in adclition to thosc
attemllt to instihrlionalizc his crcativc drive. And alr*rdy discusscd in the first rer.iel* Discussiug
although it is irnlxrssible tt> dtny it, it is m:t to - either del'ending or rejecting - his ontological
coosicteris art as his cure, 'l'hat explains rvhy some art statLlte. is alrcady an indication that ferv
relerences - Dot man14 only r.t'hen ttnavoidablc - rcjr*t thc uniquc firrmd qnality of his olrjects as
to tJrr: psyr:hiatric institution, to seclusion, and having intrinsic valte. 'I'he porver o[ the plasdc
to therapy. '?\rt guarantees sanity", said Louise lhcts create.dby Biqro do Rosirio is, thcrr, io bc
Sourgeois, although for hcrself art dicl not lronoul rccognisr:clas bcing ablc trr rnisc a phiiosoplical
such guarantcc ilt miuy nn oc(a$ittn. Bonrger:is debate on the naiure ol'arl work, Bispo do Ros{rri0
alm recognises,as all others, thal- att is an inslance woukl not allor.r,anyone to e.nterhis cell. I{c kt:pt it
o[ sublimation. Thc intcllccnral elfort in lvriting lockcd. I{o r":rs rigirl whilc controlling Others' cryes
about Bispo do Ros6rio i.s to stx: his rvork from its on his wor'ks.One had to be invitecl to go in. Only
inner content (rather than {iom outsicle, oreaning 13 words r,vereused to <tescribehls 35 lears of
from the instihrtionalized disease). Moleover, actirntiesin his major rccord .rt fhc.Iuliano fuIoreila
such revicrs rvould hc fa<td hy thc political task Cokrny. Bispo do Rtrsirio hacl all it tirhcsto convelt
of building aq+nrent$ to Iavout dre artistic value his /oresi.rinto "pseuclo Platonic" conternFlation of
of r\rthur -tsispodo Rosdrio's work in response the world as the pelerse rcsult of the pharmauo-
to those who excludc arry art production that chcmical, r:lcctric, mcchzuric r;onstntctiott of a
docs not correspttncl to the conct:lltual uuron of drilling machine, rvhie'h is to say, oI' thc plrysical
irrt work. Only in a country like Brazil will tLe and existential blow on a psychiauic patielt. 'i.'hc
academia deviaic Concepts to assassinateArtists paticncc of a 'paticnt' is built from blolv to blor,u
and to disasscrnblcArt. It is as if asthma wcrc It is also internzfisccl 'intcrnallf . Thercfore, art is
uscd to sulftrcate rvorld air- One can always szry: seen as part of the 'rnental ]rygiene' Iield, sincc, as
keep your Concepts, we rviil stick [o the artistic well knorvn, madness \'easpal't of public hygicne
object, which, aftcr all, is thc only irreplaceable until thc carly dccaclcsin thc 20$ ccnturl'. Qnq rnusl
instan<r: in the q'rnbolic syskrn. Wr-itings rvill only h*ve a rnole cleirr urrderstauding on why the lvolk
generate temporary knowleclge.That k the hurnble required thatlil'e mode to be reproduced. Ulerleau-
beauty of Philosophy: being artare of a consisterrt Ponty's comment on C6.zanncmd hispainting in
constnrctir:n in itsdf, althotgh ahvayr allolving thc artit:le "Ci:zzuruc's ckrubt" is lvidely known.
rc-articulatiorr in itr very essence,in its principles, Biepo do Ros{rio is required to lead a )il'e beyond
and in its conclusions. 'I'hat rvould also be my schizophlenia and institutionalised confir:cmcnt
fir'st tcvicrv on Biq:o do Rosdrio, r,r'ith a provisory - a modc of living in that sccnario. In reply to
posturc of separntin.g fielcls, cw:n if a footnotc Roland Barthcs'articlc "Lir meirt tle I'auteLu", one
miglrt malce re.[-erenceto ]ris tnadness, sirrce ]ris coulcl say that in older to create liis objcce in a
extraordinary existence lvould never be erased or hierarclry designecl to eliminatc all bchavioual
romanticiscd, That juxtzrposition is still uecessarF diffclcncc dcfincd as a disca-scby psyr:hirrtry,rathcr
A daywill come when Sispo do Ros/rrio's:u'twiil bc thnn the crlnfrontartion with nuthorship, Bispo clo
discusseclin no connection to madness.Or else,oul: Ros{rio hacl to preveili the anticil>ated dcnth of
of lreedom of choicc, his madnessu'ill be brought individuals from institutional moral :rnrtulmcnt.
forth if ncccssary,sincc aftcr all no discussionwould How about a mad thinkcr? Or an cnchantingpoet?
daim to put it zrsicleconrpletely.ft was a known {ix:t, Thc astounrling inquiry by Irrancisco Antonio
however,that Bispo do l{osdtio's psychiatric history D6ria aborLtNietzsche could be rsecl to pzuaphrase
should not bc convemcd to a seduction device lbr Arthur Bispo do l{osdrio (I{Al'2, Charirr Samuel;
patronising complirncnt trr his lr'ork. Bispo do IIORIA, Flancisco Antonio e LIA,I.{, Luiz Costru
Rr:siu'io'swodc quaiity is rrot l:rrscdon his condition Vcrhctc "NictzschtJ', In: Diciandrio Bdico le
of a madrnan. ln its dimension, in its nrrture, and Comtuicteg&a. 2" ed., Rio cle Janeilo: Paz e Term,
based on its arguments, this lbotnote wodd be an I 975, p. 5 I 2). 'l'ire questions could havc their ordcr
indcpcndcnt rwicw in itsclf, indepcndent ideas. invcrtcd, though: How about an cnchanting artist?
Thercfirre, both leviews, prcscntccl and jtrxtaposccl llow arbouta macl thinkcr? As of l\4achadcrC Assis'
as one, wouid make up the etrort in rer:ognising O llieniskt, (ltcre h:rs bccn a strong, productive
the autonomous legitirnacy of tsispo tlo Ros6rio's relationship bet\veen art-, crtlture, and madness in
ocuwc and thc promincnt riaturc of his existence. Brazil. In that process, Arthur Bisiro do Ros6t'io
The scconclreview lv()uld, thcn, polcmicisc thc bias occupics a highcr moment,
ii il' 8OTRCBOIS, Louise. "On Cclls". lt Carnegit corrdiciotraro artista ao estatnto dc intr:rno da Co- de problematiz:r n vi€s da andlisc psiquiittrica ou
,l!.jiiiitrmnilornl Lylne Cor:rkc c h4arli Fratrcis (ctrrado- I6niaJulianolVlorcira. Tal lccr:ssidadcestlat€gicas6 psicanaliticada produgfio tlc Bispo do Ros6rio. Ao
its). Pirnburgh: Carnegie fuIuseumof Art, l!i9l, p. podcria aparcccr depois que ruuitos se cleclicasscm contrArio,seu prop6sito scria problematizar-'c ist<>
ir uritlisar a<1uelaprorlugio sobre os rnais diversos nto 6 negar- cstcvi6s..t\ estaaltun ji tcrinrrros,en-
t9rot,,,,
ll uiur .iunIos.'Tlacl. rk: Lcyla Pelronc-lVloys€s. pdsmas. llssa iltrminaEdo do carniriho permitiria tlo, quc rccorrheceralgumar outras conseqii€ncias
iiii'Saopo.rto:lVlartinsloutes,2003,pp. 95-97.Todas agora pensar nr:vosfoc<ls.Scria rrplrentementcuru clinAmicas<laartc dc Bisptrdo Rosdrio,al6m daquc-
dc Bar{hesne$tecapitulofirraruextraidas
i,.i:hs.citug6,,t tcxto Trc sc opr$esseao processode psiquiatrizaEio lasj:i lcvantaclasrrtr primeiro tcxto adma. Discutit'
da aElo produtiva de liispo do Rosirio r: i tentat.iva - drfendcr ou rejeitat - scu cstatuto ontol6gico dc
:i.le"Lrr.gax:sde llival;acitin '. Una entrerostatxnn Cil- cleinstitucionalizarscu motor cdatiw- Tarrrb€mnfro arte ji indica que poufi)s reieitam a qualiclachfirr-
ii;i'do Mei."les", pot Nutia llrrguita. In; (iildo]feirelr tratarial mc"smoquc nio scja possivelnegdJo, que mal singular clc scnsobietos como tm valor a eles
r'iiValcnsia:IVAIvt, I 995, p. 29. a artc d:sua cura. Por isso,Ibram feiurs,s6 quando intrinscco. F[i, portantq cluc st: reconhecerque a
llilr' 1,",.tun*o tle Antonitr dir Costa Leal e l"idia San- inevit6r,eis,algumasreferBnciasi instituiglo psiqui- fi:rqr clos I'atos pl6stic.osconstruidos por Bispo rl<r
ij::'t<x Leal. ltio rleJaneiro: Livraria Eldorado Tijuca, 6trica, i clausun c:\ tcrapi:r,'A arte d unn garantia Rtrs;ido foi capaz clc suscitar um dcbatc fiIos6fico so-
i: s eurda t a , P . 5 2 . dc sanidacic",afirrrrou Louise Bourgeois,ainda que bre a naturczirda obra de artc. Bispodo Ros{iio ndo
ern seu pr6prio caso muitas vczesa artc nfu>lhe ti- pcrrniti:r que ettttassemcm suacela.Passava a chavc.
ii 6'A plop6sito, rrcr DELEUZD, Gilles.I Dobra,Izih'
t:', ni4 e o Barrcn (l 9BB).Campinas:Papyrris,1991. vessehonrado r:stagarantia. Ela tauibdrn reconhe- Era rigitlo em .seucontrole sobre a pcnctraEiro clo
'i' o'Itti,lan. cc, corno todos,que a arte tamb€m 6 uma instirx;ia olhal do Outrc sol:re estasobras. Para enlrar ha-
ii,
u, Eot" titrrlo estl piutarlo na capa da roda, Rr:sisti- de sublimagio. {) esforgo intclccturl clo tcxto sobt'e rna quc scr corwiclaclo.Dm scu principal ptontlirio
Biqro rkr Rosztio seria de ver a obra de dentro dc nrx arquir,osda Coldnia.fulia:roMorcira, zrpcnas13
if mos i tentateo hourol6gica de comparar essaroda
:i no rmdJ+afu Rodadebieicleta (1913) c sua coberttrn si rues:na(e ndo de fora, isto €, a partir da dotnEa palavras descrevcrnseus 35 atros dr: ativictades..8is-
conr umit capa plcta ao Tratclkr'sfiklitig tldtn(1916)' institucionalizacla),Adcmais, cstc t{'rto errfrentaria po do FursirrinlinJratucloparzrcorrvertersttalDaiaslir
.; de lvfu'cel f)rrcb;mrp. uma t:rn:ftr politica de argumerrtar em favor do vir- nurna contemplagffo "pscndoplat6nica" rlo mundo
o' "Ilanov,r. Dada". ln: ilada, A* andtlttli-arl.'I"rad. krr ardstico do traballio de Arthur Bispo drr Rr:sfrio conro resultantc p(ryersa da construgio lhmraco-
:r
;:: David Britt. Londres;Thamcs and l-Irtdson,l9ti6, p. em respostaaos cluc cxclucrn do cnrnpo cla arle toda -quimica, cldtrica,mecAnicadc urna perlirratriz, isto
r' 13{J, prndrrqlo clucuirr correspontlaao cfinon conccitual 6, da porrada fisico'cxistcrrcia] sobre um parcicnte
r t'' nsta i nma exoressir:de lJlizabcth Gatrard nt da crbrade arte. 56 num pais como o Brzrsil,a ud- psiquidtrico,A paddncia do "paciortr:" i constndda
; IrrtrocluEio de fii-t Schwifter's Ma4,batt,TIu Catherhat versidadedesrriaConccitospara assirssinar Artistase na porrada. Tarrrb6mela 6 intcrnalizada no "inter-
: oJ'Enttit i4isrD,. Vct nota 44 nlnn. desrnontara trotc, f urna esp6ciede asma langadn no". Assim, a arte 6 pcnsaclacotlto parte do camptr
csVer I{ARSZ, Sard. "Tirne and its scclct in Ladn para suftrcat o ar do mundo. Semprc potlcrcmos tla "higiene mcntal", jfr que, sabidamcntr:,:r loucura
Arn6rica". ht:7ime andilu Philosoltltics, Paris: UN!S- dizcr: qne liquem com os Conccitos,ptris ficaremos at6 asplimcims ddatlas do sdculoXX era parte do
CO, 1SJ77, pp. 155-168. com o objeto artistico qrrc, afiiril, 6 a rinica instincja r;iunpo da higiene priblica, E preciso entendsr mc-
67Olr-L'it,,nota 27 .rr1rz,p, 58. insubstituivr:lao sistemt simb6lico.'lbxtos s6 produ- lhor porque esta obrn cxigia esta vida pam sr:r prtr
il "lvfarx ct I'Irrscription du tmvail". Tn: Thfuric z-cmsaberespror.is6rios. Sssa6 a grandcza lrundlde drzida.Ji sc satrcque isio 6 algo quc l'Icrleau-Ponty
d'en.tenhle-larts: Seuil, l9fi8, p. I 98. du Filosolia:saber-scuma construliu>clrrsistenteem dc C(zanne e de suapinhrm no artigo'A dfvi-
cli,ssc
& Neoconueti,tnto, utrtila c ru.phuarlo lmnclo consfiithtto sir mas scmprc pas.sivclde ser rearl.iculada em zua da de Cdzarme", Avida wigidn de tsispo cloRoririo
Rierdc,Jnnoiro:
lra,n1ciro, FUIiL\fiI'&, l$S5,p' 16. ess(il{i$r orn rreu$plinclpios e 9m suantsncln$frc$. d nrais que a es$1irofr{:Biae o confinamtnto irrstitu-
70A intnduqdode um dcsconhecido BispocloRor6. fisle {erin lantb6m meu Flimciro tcxta nObreSiapo eionolimdn, mtm uilr modo d0 ncln $Ex&m retpostll
rio no anrbientc lrrasilcira no finalctx anorB0scdc- do Rood,rio,com llma p()stnrn provisdria de separ". no rrtig{) "La mort de |1s1stlt", dc Roland Barthcl'
veui tenacidadc dc l{uga Dcniaart,numpritreiro gf,odos campos,rindil que hotrveto€utna mcngil()u podc"$edi'aerquc pera Biqo do Rosdrin pnxluzir
lnomcliio,c elcJuds fl tulil lVanclsdc), arnba$ arLi8tas su* l()ucuftl neSt&note d€ r0dapC,uma vct que sua estesobjetot, ilrm crP0qo lricrirquiur deiltinado a
a14mclupfrtli*uiolabvineulariot i pxitxrterapia. cxiraorelfur{ris exist€ncio n6o podclin fler sPagodot clirninnrtrxln tlilbrongocamportlluleilt[ldaffnldn
7rA respeitotlos tmbalhoscqtostu$'I'anornmn 97' n€m romantrzad*, Estajustapordqfloaincla 6 neccs" (;0m0dococapala plicluiahi[, cr8, mair dg qil$
8doPaulo:MAM, l^c)9?, sdria. Chcgarfi o djn ern que $e discutird a artr: cle coulionto, com ,1cltcstiioantoral,imP$clilr nrortc
12" PEnhoamfusLr .
is lhatnwlalilltrstsit ltu$ortrla curc" Bispo dn S.osirio sear men!ilo A loucura, Oih Pol' prcssontida do nfcitu [rru€s claaurh#io tnonl do
tt V:r lOUl{3iSU Pierre;PASSER{}N, J,'C, L+ liberdaclecle eecolha,havcrir rnen$o it lttucrra le s$fpcla h$titlti{to,Jf, imaginorrtfir penfiadallau'
falir; illinuil, l|l7?, p, 72,
Rultatlualion,, nrcessdlioforl porluc, afinrtl, nlrr H€rcivindica flla i:rl?A Fla{p cncf,ntildor?A ind*gagtonirrrmhndil
t'r
"Exposigdo dc PintrlnrdtrrEnlbrrnosdn 0'.1,M.' iotnl clirito n0 dr:butc.No entutto,,i6 t0 sf,bi$ quc robroillctuche por lluilcirco Antonb D/triupodu'
(I{elntdliodc 1959)[udo aminado],TntSokthnda a hintrlria psiqui{tricn do $ilpo do Ronirlio nlo clc. rio rcr cmpngndflp&mpcnlnrm(t't rffi plrdllato f,
AohdaJultano Moraila, SarvigoNtcioualdc Docnqas veris.sor canveftidn em dirpooitivo dc ueclugfro para figurnrlc Arthur Sispode Rosdrio(l#fl?, Chahn
Mentnir,\4c1, V nol,pp, 12"14,,j4n,/jul, l9$i' o elosio Faturnnlinttrde rutt prtlclugfio,A obra clo SantreLDORIA, il'ant:iscoAntonioc LIlvlA' Luiz
?'$cmyrreimaginciorrqr$r/Qt um textosohleAtthur Birpo do Rr:g{rio ndo d boa porque clc poclcria ter OostE,Vorbct$"Niclzgcltc",lw Diekndrio Bfuinlt
BispocloRosdrioqueftrsseexclnrivnmente dedica' clas$ilicadoconro louco, I'or,lua dimcn$io, natufera Qonuniugfrrl?"ctl,,I{io dc.lsncir*lPaze lbrrar I 975,
cloa ma artc, E que apenasao fin:rl contive,lsc urua e argxrmcntor,ctta n()til de rodapd sefia ilm tcxto p. 312).Apenasa ordomdrr pcrgtmtas podsriascr
iuricire kxrgulssima llota dc rudapdsobrcrua con- aut0r:omo, iddias em si. Assim, os dois tcxtolt' {pre' invertida:.]6p$n$(luutlt artistaencantndorlE rrnr
cligfloexistencial, Muitoji $cescreveu sobrea obra $cutado$e justapostoscomo um, mmpudam um pcu*adorlrnrcol l)escle0 Alioni*n'dc Mrrclado dc
de Ilispodo R,rsqdo, Algru:sescreveran bem,Mcu cslorgodc rccoohcccr'n \ralitladeautdnonraclaobr'* Assi$,eds|,eumft forte rtftr$fioPmdul'ivaettlre artel
t{xto conqrponderia a uma ncccssidade estrati:.g' do Bisyr do Rosirio e o car{ter marcantc de sua culturae loucuurno Brasil..A'r'thurIlispodo Rosilrio
ca dr:r,i:-hrsobo exclusivo ptjsrnada estdtica, sem exist0:u:ia.O eslblEodo segundotoxb seria,pois, o i um momcutr:supedornesse processo.
 dw&rg@ @@ffimgerHm& PAULO HERKENHOFF
Terrm dwe B#mmeses
sg&emsm Criim deArtee Crnudordo
tufixeudeArte do Rin/ A/AII
A* Cdtic and Ctaatorof
MuseudeArte do Rio./ MAR

iirr Bispo do Rosd.rio pode concordar com quase tudo sobre a dor da exist€n- Hrafirodaeq&o
i,'em Clarice Lispector, iaclusive com a ambivalente assertiva: "porque quem
rhdc desorganiza".r Por que um homem, com a missio de organizar o mundo,
b6m desorganizarta o que $e entende sobre a arte? Bispo do Rosario cstcvc i'.
do olhar sistcrnatizado da artc. Mais que tudo. o artista confinou a socie-
'deforade sua obra. Binpo do Ros6rio parece nffo ter sido movido pela intenciona-
ade da obra de arte. Nunca teve um professor ou orientador de arte. Fracassaram
modelos est6ticos que ihe tenham eventualmente apresentado. No entanto, no
de sua obra, o artista demonstra consist8nciaformal c constn-liu um univcrso
$soal.Mais ainda, dispensavao conceito de arte para o que fazia. A obra de Bis-
ildo Rosario tem algo rlaquilo que interessou a Claes Oldenburg pois foi "uma
que n6o crescese achando artc",2
i;i:::

p'artir de 1964, Bispo do Rosirio passoumais decididamente a procluzir sua obra.

arprodugeo.6 paralela ;i de alguns outros artistas e te6ricos aos quais devcri ser
Lsiaposto,cntre os quais estlo Hdlio Oiticica, Lygia Clark, Roland Barthcs,Jea:r
eUdtill*d, Gilles lleleuze, Michel loucault, Claes Oldcnburg e a afieltouera.xAo
r em 1989, Bispo do Rosdrio deixou um cnr'pus cle mais c1eoitocentos objetos,
juntossalvopoucasexces6es SuasituaqtoemersenaHi$t6ria
dispereas.*
Artebrasileifficclmouffiaesndcio
de"fhntnamadamodernidacie",

irot6rioque at6recentemente a Hist6ria da Arte nf,o davacontade algunsartistas.

ur Bispodo Rosdrio6, antesde tudo, um problemahistoriogrd{icoe critico. E
il buscarclassificaEdes como se fossemnecess6rias i jusrificagioda singular!
de Bispo do Rosdrio.h{erecemcautelaas comparaldesformais com artistas
itosna Hist6ria da Arte ocidentalcom o objetivoclcbuscara legitimagiocritica
historiogrlLfica de Bispo do Rosirio. Sua obra dispensa estcs ge$tos.IJma exem-
posiglo constmtora de sentido 6 a de Lisctte Lagnado, que problemaitzau a
igf,,ode Bispo do Ros6.rioa Marcel Duchamp Para Lagnado, a indagaqSo
i,"Como reduzir a distdnciaque separao fftomentoniais conceitualda hist6riada
de uma not6vel express[odelirante?" Depoi.sde brgumentaqa critica conclui
"Bispogozada condiEdoduchampiana,porque viveu, i grande,suamdquina
lesejante".sO interesseesti no lato de quc aprodugf;.odeBispodo Ros6riopropicie
sob fortc baseconceitual.O confronto com determinadasobrasou
brmulaq6este6ricasdc terceirospode apenaselucidarsua obra e permitir seure-
iconhecimcntoa partir dc sua16gica,que sustentasuasingularidadee suadilbrenga.

ilouco hi de dado pessoal cifrdvel na obrtr de Bispc do RosSrio. "Eu vim" - esta 6 &satsrta
a,suamais importante rwelagdo. Quern 6 este eu que s€ escrevia fio a fio por toda
iipane? Nlo se vB assinahrra ou nome de forma narcisista nos obietos. Nomes de
ipessoas,lugares ou linhas dc 0nibus em situag5o indeterminada, que podem, no
iiientanto, parecer indicag6es pouco relevantes para a liuiglo dc sua obra. Talvez
;itnclo aquilo devesseestarrindicado como seu territ6rio, mas nio est6. Tampouco
:.lexrsteuma caligrafia
ri:ll6 v;d +^ .--^ -- --r:-...- a- L, .ti
que, na enervaqio da €scritr-rra, I
pudesse :f ,- :4 ,,,,
idcntificar o rtrago
- - l-
de