WHEN ART MEETS CRISIS The portuguese story and beyond Augusto Santos Silva Paula Guerra ...

17 Pages·2017·0.43 MB·English

by  Lina Cardoso

WHENARTMEETSCRISIS
Theportuguesestoryandbeyond
AugustoSantosSilva
FEP,Porto,Portugal
PaulaGuerra
FLUP,Porto,Portugal
HelenaSantos
FEP,Porto,Portugal
Abstract ThearticlefocusesonhowthePortugueseartshavedealtwiththePortuguesecrisis,intheyears
2011-2014,whenthecountrywassubjectedtoafinancialbailout.Theapproachisbasedonacross-section
analysis,consideringthedomainsofliterature,finearts,visualartsandcinema,musicandperformingarts.
Itemphasizesthreedistinctandcomplementarywaysthroughwhichtherelationbetweenartsandsocietywas
developedintheseyears.Thefirstwayisthedirectlypoliticalpositioningofartists,throughartisticworksand
performances.Thesecondwayisthepresenceofthecrisisasabackgroundofseveralartisticcreationsofthis
time.Andthethirdwayistheonebywhichthecrisisprojectsanewlightintoconsistenttopicsofthe
Portugueseartisticimagination,stressingthecentralityofcollectiveidentityandself-reflexivity.ThePortuguese
casesuggestshowpromisingcanbeforthesociologicalexplanationofsocialprocessestheconsiderationoftheir
culturalandartisticdimensions.
Keywords:Portugal,fiscalcrisis,arts,cinema,popularmusic,literature.
Resumo Oartigofocaliza-senomodocomoasartesportuguesaslidaramcomacriseportuguesanosanosde
2011a2014,alturaemqueopaísfoisujeitoaumresgatefinanceiro.Aabordagemébaseadanumaanálise
transversal,tomandoemcontaosdomíniosdaliteratura,dasbelas-artes,dasartesvisuaisedocinema,da
músicaedasartesperformativas.Oartigoenfatizatrêsformasdistintasecomplementaresatravésdasquaisse
desenvolveuarelaçãoentreasarteseasociedadenestesanos.Aprimeiraformarelaciona-secomo
posicionamentopolíticodiretodosartistasatravésdotrabalhoartísticoesuasperformances.Asegundaforma
centra-senapresençadacrisecomopanodefundodeváriascriaçõesartísticasnessaépoca.Eaterceiraformaé
aquelaemqueacriseprojetaumanovaperspetivanostópicosconsistentesdaimaginaçãoartísticaportuguesa,
reforçandoacentralidadedaidentidadecoletivaedaautorreflexividade.Assim,ocasoportuguêssugerequanto
podeserpromissoraaconsideraçãodasdimensõesculturaiseartísticasnaexplicaçãodosprocessossociais.
Palavras-chave:Portugal,crisefinanceira,artes,cinema,músicapopular,literatura.
Résumé Leproposdel’articleestd’analyserlafaçondontlesartsportugaisontfaitfaceàlacriseportugaiseau
coursdesannées2011-2014,quandlepaysétaitsoumisàunrachatfinancier.L’approcheestbaséesurune
analysetransversale,enexaminantlesdomainesdelalittérature,desbeaux-arts,desartsvisuelsetdesfilms,de
lamusiqueetdesartsperformatifs.Onsoulignetroisformes,différentesetcomplémentaires,parlesquellesla
relationentrelesartsetlasociétés’estdéveloppéependantcesannées-là.Lapremièreformeconcernele
positionnementpolitiquedirectdesartistes,àtraversleurtravailartistiqueetleursperformances.Ladeuxième
formeprendlacrisecommecontexteetenjeudeplusieurscréationsartistiquesdecetemps-là.Latroisième
formeenvisagelesmoyensparlesquelslacriseprojetteunenouvelleperspectivesurlessujetsdurablesde
l’imaginationartistiqueportugaise,enrenforçantlacentralitédel’identitécollectiveetdel’autoréflexivité.Ainsi,
l’analyseducasportugaissuggèrelapossibilitéd’enrichissementapportéeparlapriseenconsidérationdes
dimensionsculturellesetartistiquesdansl’explicationdesprocessussociaux.
Mots-clés:lePortugal,crisefinancière,arts,films,musiquepopulaire,littérature.
Resumen EsteartículosefocalizaencómoelarteenPortugalhalidiadoconlacrisiseconómicadurantelos
añosdelrescatefinanciero(2011-2014).Lametodologíadeestetrabajosebasaenunamuestraquetomaen
consideracióndiversasáreascomolaliteratura,lasartesplásticasyvisuales,lamúsicaylasartesescénicas.
SOCIOLOGIA,PROBLEMASEPRÁTICAS,n.º86,2018,pp.27-43. DOI:10.7458/SPP20188611860
28 AugustoSantosSilva,PaulaGuerraeHelenaSantos
Elartículoponedemanifiestotresformasdiferentes,perocomplementarias,enlasqueelarteylasociedadhan
interactuadoysehandesarrolladoduranteestosaños.Laprimeradeesaformashacereferenciaal
posicionamientopolíticodirectodelosartistas,atravésdesustrabajosydesusactuaciones.Lasegundaesla
presenciadelacrisis,comotemadefondo,enmuchasdelascreacionesartísticasdeestaépoca.Ylaterceraesla
formaenlaquelacrisishaalumbradonuevasperspectivasyformasdeentenderciertostemasdelaimaginación
artísticaportuguesa,destacandolaimportanciadelasidentidadescolectivasylaautorreflexividad.Así,elcaso
portuguéssugierecuánprometedorapuedeserlatomaenconsideracióndelasdimensionesculturalesy
artísticasalahoradeexplicarsociológicamentedeterminadosprocesossociales.
Palabras-clave:Portugal,crisisfinanciera,artes,cinema,músicapopular,literatura.
Introduction:thecrisis,the“troika”andthearts
Subsequently to the international crisis originated in 2008, in the heart of the
North-Americanfinancialsystem,andinthecontextoftheEuropeansovereigndebts
crisis,severalcountriesbelongingtotheEuroZonewereforcedtoaskforexternalfi-
nancialaid.1Thiswasthecase,in2010,ofGreeceandIreland,andin2011ofPortugal.
Inallthesecases,theaidwasprovidedbythejointeffortoftheEuropeanCommission
(EC),theEuropeanCentralBank(ECB)andtheInternationalMonetaryFund(IMF),
constitutinga“troika”ofEuropeanandinternationalinstitutions.Inordertoobtain
theaid,eachcountryhadtoapplyforan“assistanceprogramme”,whosetermsim-
plied(a)aheavyandfrontloadedpackoffiscalausterity,(b)asequenceofreforms
aimed at reducing labour costs and public expenditures, shrinking the public eco-
nomicsectorandderegulatingthelabourmarket,and(c)acloseexternalsurveillance
onthedecisionsundertakenbythenationalgovernmentthatcouldhavefiscalimpact.
Irelandwasthefirstcountrytoexittheprogramme,in2013.ThePortuguese
programme ended in May 2014. Both countries were therefore able to conclude
their respective “adjustments” in the three-year period that was initially sched-
uled.Greecedidnotachievethisgoal,andinthatperiodCyprusalsosubmittedto
anexternalbailout,fromwhichithasinthemeantimealsoexited.
TheassessmentoftheoutcomesofthePortugueseprogrammeisamatterof
intense political controversy. The “memorandum of understanding” that first
launcheditwasnegotiated,inAprilandMay2011,byaresigningminoritygovern-
ment,ledbytheSocialistParty,anditwassupportedbythetworight-wingparties
(PSD and CDS). Following the general election held in June 2011, PSD and CDS
formedagovernmentcoalition.
Independentlyoftheopinionsonthemeritsandoutcomesoftheassistance
programme,thereisageneralawarenessofthetremendoussacrificesitdemanded
bothfromthesocietyandtheeconomy.Ifonecomparesthemaineconomicandso-
cialindicatorsof2014withthoseof2010,theconclusionisquiteobvious:therewas
1 Thearticleisbasedonresultsoftheresearchproject“PortugalFacingtheMirror.Identityand
TransformationinLiterature,CinemaandPopularMusic”,financedbytheCalousteGulbenkian
Foundation,anddevelopedattheInstituteofSociologyoftheUniversityofPorto,Portugal.
SOCIOLOGIA,PROBLEMASEPRÁTICAS,n.º86,2018,pp.27-43. DOI:10.7458/SPP20188611860
WHENARTMEETSCRISIS 29
some progress in fiscal consolidation and in the deficit, and a major set-back in
termsofthegrowthrateandvolumeofGDPpercapita,employmentlevelsandav-
erageincome,numberofpeopleinpovertyandsocial-economicinequalities.Still,
inordertofullyapprehendandevaluatetheeffectsofthe“troika”policies,onehas
tolookbeyondthesefigures,andinvestigatefurtherintothedomainofsocialrep-
resentations.Itisnotonlythe“material”standardsofpersonalandsociallifethat
areatstake;symbolicandmoralissuesarealsorelevant.
Anunexpectedchangeofdevelopmentpathimpliedanewawarenessofthe
structuralfrailtiesofthenationaleconomyandtheunanticipatedeffectsoftheadop-
tionoftheeuroasthecommoncurrency.Thisledtoasignificantrevisionofthepopu-
lar assessment of the European integration, which had usually been valued as the
singlemostimportantsuccessofthePortuguesedemocracy.Theconditionalityofthe
assistanceprogramme,meaningthatalltherelevantgovernment’sdecisionsregard-
ingfiscalpolicy—whichencompassedmosteconomicdecisions—hadtobeprevi-
ouslyapprovedbyBrussels,FrankfurtandWashingtonrepresentedahugelimitation
ofthesovereigntyofthePortuguesestate.Themoraltopicwas,andstillis,acrucial
feature:werethePortuguesepeoplepayingtheinevitablepriceoflastinghabitsoflow
economiccommitment,financialincautiousnessandconspicuousexpenditurethat,
accordingtomanynewsmediafromCentralandNorthernEurope,supposedlychar-
acterisedtheSoutherncountries?Wastherea“sin”topay,astheGermanlanguage
suggested,usingthesamewordbothfor“debt”and“fault”—withausterityserving
astheactofcontrition?Andwhatwastheresponsibilityofnationalelites—economic,
socialandpoliticalelites—inthetrajectorythatbroughtthePortugueseeconomyand
statetoasituationofimminentdefault?
Thesetopics—Europe,sovereignty,collectivebehaviourandelite’sresponsi-
bilities—polarizedmanyrepresentationsanddiscoursesexpressedinthepublic
space,namelyinthemedia.Theydialecticallyinteractedwiththeissuesofpower,
hegemony, and asymmetries, on whose grounds the Portuguese situation could
alsobedescribedastheoutputofawronglydesignedmonetaryunionthataggra-
vated,insteadofattenuating,theeconomicdifferencesbetweenthecoreandthe
peripheryofEuropeanUnion,andperverselyreinforcedthepoliticalhegemonyof
GermanyanditsimpositionofanausterityorthodoxyonthewholeEuroArea.The
assistanceprogrammecouldevenbeseenasaformidableattackagainstthewel-
faresystemthatthePortuguesedemocracyhadgraduallybuiltup,andthereposi-
tioningofitseconomyinthetraditionalroleofaprovideroflowcostmanpower.
Inanycase,howshouldthisdelicatehistoricalmomentbeinterpreted?What
lessonsweretobelearned?Howshouldcitizensandcivilsocietyorganisationsre-
act?HowcouldanewvisionandinterestofthePortuguesepeoplebeforged?How
couldnewenergiesandplayersbemobilizedinthissense?
Sociologycangivesomehelpinaddressingthesequestions.Itsmostimportant
contribution—incomparison,forinstance,withtheconventionalmacroeconomics
—residesinthecombinationoftheanalysisofavailableobjectiveindicatorsand
theinquiryintothelesscrystallisedrealmofsymbols,beliefsandrepresentations.
Ourassumptionis,furthermore,thatthissociologicalendeavourcanfurtherbene-
fitfromthestudyofart.
SOCIOLOGIA,PROBLEMASEPRÁTICAS,n.º86,2018,pp.27-43. DOI:10.7458/SPP20188611860
30 AugustoSantosSilva,PaulaGuerraeHelenaSantos
Theartisticperspectiveofthesocialcrisisiscrucialsince,asintellectuals,art-
istsparticipateinthesocialreflectionsanddebatesinandaboutanyhistoricalcir-
cumstances. They tend to work on those circumstances and the ideas, emotions
and behaviours they arouse in people, as materials for creation, because their
worksandperformancesconfigurerepresentationsof,anddiscourseson,socialre-
ality.Thecriticalnatureofanepochlikethecurrentoneemphasizesalltheseingre-
dients:theleadingroleoftheintellectualandtherelevanceofculturalcritique;the
abundanceofmaterialsfortheartisticworkontime,contextandidentity;andthe
self-reflexivity of society and of its various constitutive fields in what concerns
theirfoundations,problemsandfuture.
However,oneshouldnotlimitoneselftotheconsiderationofartsasanother
subjectforsociologicalresearch,tobeaddedtotheremainders.AsHowardBecker
(2007)suggests,artisaformof“tellingaboutsociety”,associologyandmanyother
disciplines of knowledge. Images and words convey, organise and disseminate
ideasandinterpretations,justlikethemapsofcartographyorthetables,figures
andgraphsofstatistics.Theyareneithertobemergednorinterchangeable,since
theydependuponverydifferentpostulatesandtheyputinactionquitedistinct
waysofthinkingandtalking.Therefore—thedifferenceallowingfordialogue—
theycanbetakenasparalleldiscoursesonsociety,relatingonetotheother.Itisthis
sort of “epistemological partnership” (in the words of Jean Majastre cited by
Péquignot,2007:286)thatcanjustifytheuseofartas“aninstrumentofresearch”
(Péquignot,2007:287),andnotonlyassubjectofsociologicalresearch.
Alternativewaysofconsideringtheartsinasociologicalanalysisoffactsand
representationscouldcertainlybefollowed.Onecouldlookfortheeffectsofthe
economicandsocialcrisisontheliterature,music,cinemaandotherartworkspro-
duced in that context — even if the refracted nature of those effects must be ac-
knowledged. One could try to apprehend the consequences of the crisis to the
structureanddynamicsoftheculturalfield(orartworld),anditsrelationshipwith
thegovernmentandthepublicpolicies.Butherethefocuswillbeonartasaformof
knowing,interpretingandproblematizingsocialrealities:onitspowertoperform,
reconstructandinterpellatehistoryandsociety;itscapacitytosimultaneouslyim-
mersein,anddistancefrom,socialcontext.
Theaimofthisarticleis,therefore,toobservehowthePortugueseartshave
dealtwiththePortuguesecrisis,intheyears2011-2014,whenthecountrywassub-
jectedtoexternalaidanda“bailout”.Theapproachwillbebasedinacross-section
analysis,consideringthedomainsofliterature,finearts,visualartsandcinema,mu-
sicandtheperformingarts.Inthenextsection,afewexamplesofdirectlypoliticalpo-
sitioningthroughartisticperformancewillbegiven.Section3willthenillustratethe
presenceofthecrisisasabackgroundtoseveralartisticcreationsofthistime.Insec-
tion4,itwillbearguedthatthecrisisprojectedanewlightintoconsistenttopicsofthe
Portuguese artistic imagination,2 stressing the centrality, within it, of issues of
2 Thephraseisusedherebyhomologywiththe“sociologicalimagination”coinedbyC.Wright
Mills(1959),inthiscasetorefertothespecificwaysofthinkinganddoingthatmakesensefor
artsandartists.
SOCIOLOGIA,PROBLEMASEPRÁTICAS,n.º86,2018,pp.27-43. DOI:10.7458/SPP20188611860
WHENARTMEETSCRISIS 31
collectiveidentityandself-reflexivity.Finally,someconclusiveremarkswillpoint
outtheusefulnessofthissortofanalysistothesociologicalunderstandingofthena-
tionalandEuropeancurrentsituation.
Artivisminthe“troika”years:thecrisisasatheme
At 5th July, 2014, the National Museum of Contemporary Art — also known as
ChiadoMuseum,inLisbon—inauguratedanartisticinstallationbyanemergent
artist,RuiMourão(bornin1977).ItstitlewasOsNossosSonhosNãoCabemnasVossas
Urnas(Ourdreamsdon’tfitinyourballotboxes).3Thevisitorscouldsee,inawall,
fragmentsofvideofilms,reportingscenesofprotest:peopleinterruptingthePrime
Minister’sspeechattheParliament,peoplecontestingtheofficialvisitofChancellor
Angela Merkel to Portugal, people organising street demonstrations to protest
againsttheincreasesintransportfares,todenouncefinancialcutsinhealthservices,
toparodybankersandpoliticians,ortocallcitizenstocivicparticipation.Statements
and testimonies by social activists could be heard at five headphones. They ex-
plained the use of art to mobilise people and to express social protest: a form of
artivism,meaningthearticulationofartwithpoliticalandcivilaction.Theopening
ceremonyoftheexhibitionwasfollowedbytheoccupationofthemuseum,through-
outthewholenight—agestureofwhichthemuseum’sdirectorhadnotbeenprevi-
ouslyinformed(forhisownprotection,saidtheorganisers).Theexhibitionranuntil
thescheduleddate,attheendofSeptember2014,withnofurtherincidents.
Otherinitiativesofpoliticalupheavalbyartisticmeansorofmanifestingar-
tisticsolidaritywithsocialprotesttookplace.Forinstance,at15thJune,2013,the
firstpartoftheOresteiatrilogybyAeschyluswasstagedatthemunicipaltheatreof
Matosinhos,nearPorto(thesecondbiggestcityofPortugal).4Asitwasthedayofa
national demonstration against the government and the “troika”, the company
(CompanhiadeTeatrodeBraga,thatis,BragaIndependentCompany)startedthe
performanceechoingthedemonstrationandsingingsloganslikethis:“Yestocul-
ture,noto‘troika’!”Anothercompany,TeatroPraga(PragaTheatre)recreatedin
2014atraditionalformofPortuguesepopularcomedy—therevista,whichtypi-
callyconsistsofaseriesofdialogues,songs,marchesanddancesunitedbyavery
strong carnavalesque critique of contemporary social, moral and political facts.
Theshow,TropaFandanga(anidiomaticexpressionfor“ridiculouspeople”),was
really a success, both with critics and the public.5 But, in each performance, the
parodic atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by the monologue of one of the
youngest actors, who described their own precarious professional situation and
denounceditasatreasontothedreamsofhisparents’generation,thosewhohad
accomplished the transition to democracy, in the mid-1970s, believing that they
werethuspreparingamuchbetterfuture.
3 ExhibitionattheMuseudoChiadofrom05/07/2014to28/09/2014,curatedbyEmíliaTavares.
4 Ésquilo(Aeschylus):Agamémnon(458b.C.),stagedbyRuiMadeira,observedat15/06/2013.
5 StagedbyPedroZegrePenimetal.andperformedbyTeatroPraga,premièreat20/02/2014.
SOCIOLOGIA,PROBLEMASEPRÁTICAS,n.º86,2018,pp.27-43. DOI:10.7458/SPP20188611860
32 AugustoSantosSilva,PaulaGuerraeHelenaSantos
Analogouspoliticalstatementsthroughorwithinthecontextofworksofarts
canbeseenincinemaandvisualarts.ThePortugueseCentreforPhotography,a
publicinstitution,commissionedtwelvephotographerstotakeassourceofinspi-
rationaspectsofthecurrentsocialsituation.Theresultwasacollectiveexhibition,
12.12.12,thatranattheCentrefromFebruarytoApril2013.6Theoverwhelming
topicwastheeconomicprivationoperatedbythecrisisandthe“troika”policies:
peoplequeuingattheentranceofsocialsecurityoffices,peoplerevolvingtheur-
bandustbinsinsearchofstillusablethings,longqueueswaitingforbusesthattake
toolongtocome,abandonedpublicworks,miseryandexclusion.In2015,thefilm
directorMiguelGomesdirectedthetrilogyAsMileUmaNoites(Arabiannights),
workingonstoriesoftheeverydaylifecrisisexperiencedbythePortugueseduring
theyearsof2013and2014,wherethelinesbetweenfictionandrealityaccountfor
thestrangenessandexcessofthedocumentedreallives.7Inthesameyear,thedoc-
umentaryDreamocracy,byRaquelFreireandValérieMitteaux,wasreleased,which
dealtwiththeorganizationofdemonstrationsandotherformsofmassivemobili-
zationagainstausteritymeasures.8
Nobodyshouldbesurprisedbytheparticularincidenceofpoliticalandso-
cialcriticisminpopularmusic.AsongbythebandDeolinda,“Queparvaqueeu
sou”(WhatafoolIam),denouncedtheprecariousconditionoftheyounggenera-
tions,themosteducatedgenerationinPortuguesehistory,stillcondemnedtoun-
employmentorbadjobsandtopersonalinstability.9Itquicklybecameananthem
ofmanysocialprotests.In2012,therapperCapicuareleasedherself-titledalbum.10
One of its most important songs was “Medo do medo” (Fear of the fear), a very
harshcritiqueofasocietythataccordinglyplacedfearasameansofdomination
andalienation,immobilityandadulationtoeconomic,socialandpoliticalpowers.
ThelatestalbumofMãoMorta(DeadHand),aPortuguesealternativerockband,
points out the responsibilities of Portuguese elites and exhorts to direct action
againstthepoliticaloppression.Itsverytitle—PeloMeuRelógioSãoHorasdeMatar
(Bymywatchitistimetokill)—suggestsmetaphoricallytheresorttoextremevio-
lence;andthevideoclipdirectedbyRodrigoAreiasemphasizesthisprovocatively
radicalmessage,stagingtheleadsingerofthebandarmedwithagunandshooting
people,whileimagesofsocialdemonstrationsandthefacesofformerorcurrent
politicalleadersappear.11
Therefore,socialcriticismandpoliticalactivismwereexplicitcomponentsof
severalartisticworksandperformancesinPortugal,inthe“troika”yearsandtak-
ingthemasthemainmotif.Boththesocialsituationandtheadjustmentpolicies
that were seen as factors producing or aggravating it were the targets of such a
6 CollectiveexhibitionattheCentroPortuguêsdeFotografia,Porto,from23/02/2013to21/04/2013.
7 MiguelGomes,AsMileUmaNoites;volume1,OInquieto;volume2,ODesolado;volume3,
OEncantado,Portugal/France/Germany/Switzerland,2015,381’.
8 RaquelFreire&ValérieMitteaux,Dreamocracy,Portugal,2014,80’.
9 Deolinda,“Queparvaqueeusou”,inDeolindanoColiseu,SonsemTrânsito,2011.
10 Capicua,Capicua,Porto,OptimusDiscos,2012.
11 MãoMorta,PeloMeuRelógioSãoHorasdeMatar,Leiria,Rastilho,2012;RodrigoAreias,Horasde
Matar,Portugal,2014,4’.
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WHENARTMEETSCRISIS 33
criticism.Andtheartisticengagement—thealreadymentionedartivism—was
seenasanindispensableandeffectiveinstrumenttomobilizeandcombatagainst
theideologicalhegemonyandthepoliticalpowerofthe“troika”,thegovernment
or the entire political establishment, and the mainstream economists and politi-
cians.Thisdidnotexclusivelyoriginatewithinmarginalartistsororganisations,
butalsointheinstitutionalcoreofthePortugueseculturalfield.Andlikewise,it
ledtoareconsideration(ifnotrevision)ofthepoliticaldimensionandsocialre-
sponsibilityofartandartists.ThecollectiveexhibitionheldintheChiadoMuseum
fromDecember,2012,toMarch,2013,carriedtheverysignificanttitle(inEnglish)
AreYouStillAwake?12Itwasanexhibitionaboutthepoliticaldiscourseandposi-
tioninginthePortuguesecontemporaryfineandvisualarts,sincethe1974Demo-
craticRevolutionuntil2012.Colonialismandpost-colonialism,genderandsexual
identities, ecology, political resistance and critique, dystopias, and the meaning
andpertinenceofrevolutionwereamongthemaintopics.Butthemoststriking
featureofthecurator’soption(EmíliaTavares,thesamecuratorthatwouldeven-
tuallycuratetheMourão’sexhibitionwithwhichthissectionbegan)wasindeed
themessageconveyedbythetitle:areyoustillawake—stillaware,stillavailable
forcriticismandagency?
Hard,shadowytimes:thecrisisasanambience
Theeconomic,socialandpoliticalcontextoftheyears2011-2014—theyearsofim-
minentfinancialdefault,externalaidand“troika”‘ssurveillance—werechalleng-
ingtimesforpoliticalactivisminandthrougharts.Theexamplesthatweregivenin
thelastsectionevidencethecentralityofthissituationasasubjectandamotiffor
artisticexpressionandengagement.Theyalsosuggestthattheoverallpanorama
intheculturalfieldwasnotstructurallydistinctfromtheonecharacterizingtheso-
cialandpoliticalarenas:certainlyahigherdegreeofturbulence,butnoradicaldis-
ruptionthatcouldquestiontheverypillarsofsocialorder.
However,thisisnottheonlywaythroughwhichthePortuguesecrisishaunts
theartisticimagination.Itslessexplicitpresence(lessthantheartivismform)isnot
atallineffective.
First,thehardnessoftheongoingeventsgrantsarenewedpertinencetoclas-
sicinquiriesintothenatureofhumanagencyanddestiny.Forinstance,thestaging
oftwocelebratedShakespeare’splaysupdatetheirpoliticaldimension.In2012,the
laststagingduetotheinfluentPortuguesestagedirectorJoaquimBenite,thathis
deathleftincomplete(beingsubsequentlycompletedbyhisdiscipleRodrigoFran-
cisco) was Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens.13 His reading stresses the political
12 Are You Still Awake?, collective exhibition at the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea/
MuseudoChiado,Lisbon,from13/12/2012to30/03/2013,curatedbyEmíliaTavares.
13 WilliamShakespeare,TimãodeAtenas(1623),stagedbyJoaquimBeniteandRodrigoFrancisco,
performed by Companhia de Teatro de Almada, première at Teatro Municipal de Almada,
Almada,20/12/2012.
SOCIOLOGIA,PROBLEMASEPRÁTICAS,n.º86,2018,pp.27-43. DOI:10.7458/SPP20188611860
34 AugustoSantosSilva,PaulaGuerraeHelenaSantos
dimensionofthemorallessonofShakespeare’sallegory:thevacuityofvanityand
richness,thelonelinessoftheformerrichcitizenimmediatelyabandonedbythe
flatteringfriendsassoonastheyperceivehisfinancialdifficulties,hisradicalrebel-
lionagainstallformsofsociallife.Inamoredirectmanner,stagedirectorNuno
Cardoso,revisitingin2014Shakespeare’sCoriolanus,prefersthepoliticalregister
(theincapacityofthemilitaryherotousethepoliticalartsofcourtlinessanddis-
simulation)tothemoralone(thethemeoftheherofirstbetrayedandthenbetray-
ingbyrevenge).14Otherillustrationscouldbeadded:oneofthemostrelevant
for our analytical purpose is the recreation of the 1956 play by Friedrich
Dürrenmatt, A Visita da Velha Senhora (The visit of the old lady).15 Staged by
Nuno Cardoso, it involved the new Companhia Maior (Major Company),
whoseactorsareamateursorformerprofessionalsolderthan60years.Thecity
ofGüllen,oncerich,subsequentlydecayedandcollapsed.Now,theinhabitants
are anxiously waiting for a city’s daughter, who had to leave it longtime ago,
and meanwhile became astonishingly rich. But, to save the city that once ex-
pelledher,the“oldlady”demandsnothinglessthanthedeathofherformerlo-
calboyfriend,thathadbetrayedher.Willthecityacceptsuchabrutalpriceto
assureitsbailout?Isthereasortofcollectivefaultthatmustbeexpiatedbyany-
thingcausingahugepain?Everything,fromthestagingtotheprogrammesdis-
tributed to the audience, directs the attention to this similarity: Portugal is
Güllen,theoldladyistheinternationalaiders,theconditionalityhumiliatesfar
beyondanyreasonability,andindependentlyofindividualresponsibilitiesitis
indeedthecommunityasawholethathastobesacrificed.
Second,thepresenceandeffectsoftheeconomicandsocialcrisisshowupasa
sortofbackgroundfordescriptionsandnarrativesdeployedondifferenttopics.Asthe
familiardramatakingplaceinLisbon’ssuburbsin2010,powerfullyfilmedbyJoão
Canijo—SanguedoMeuSangue(Bloodofmyblood)—comestoitstragicend,thera-
dionewsfocusonthefinancialcrisisanditsconsequences.16Theausteritypoliciesthat
forceseverefinancialcutsinthenationalhealthservices,bothinPortugalandSpain,
contextualisetheexperienceofJoaquim,sufferingfromHIVandsubjectedtoanex-
perimental treatment in Madrid — in the extraordinary film by Joaquim Pinto,
EAgora?Lembra-me(Andnow?Remindme).17Andsoonandsoforth.
Third,thisbackgroundformsasortofnegative,shadowyambiencethatsome-
howpervadesthewholeartisticendeavour.Threestrikingexamplescanbetakenin
distinct arts. The sadness and loneliness staged in Vítor Gonçalves’s film, A Vida
Invisível(Theinvisiblelife)becomesevenmoremovingastheurbandécoristhegen-
trificationinterventionsinLisbon,withthebuildingofnewelegantzonesandthere-
habilitation of the main historical square; the promise of future they anticipated
14 WilliamShakespeare,Coriolano(1607-1608),stagedbyNunoCardoso,performedbyAoCabo
Teatro,premièreatTeatroNacionalD.MariaII,Lisbon,09/01/2014.
15 FriedrichDurrenmatt,AVisitadaVelhaSenhora(1956),stagedbyNunoCardoso,performedby
Ao Cabo Teatro and Companhia Maior, première at São Luiz Teatro Municipal, Lisbon,
27/03/2013.
16 JoãoCanijo,SanguedoMeuSangue,Portugal,2011,131’.
17 JoaquimPinto,EAgora?Lembra-me,Portugal/Spain,2013,164’.
SOCIOLOGIA,PROBLEMASEPRÁTICAS,n.º86,2018,pp.27-43. DOI:10.7458/SPP20188611860
WHENARTMEETSCRISIS 35
turned to be, melancholically, frustration and despair.18 The events reported in
QuandooDiaboReza(WhenDevilprays),the2011novelbyMáriodeCarvalho—a
ironicstoryofpettydelinquencyandfamilydisputes—takeplaceinLisbon,duringa
noisyelectioncampaigntowhichthenovel’scharactersdedicateanabsoluteindiffer-
ence.Andalsodoesthenarrator,asthesearethethreelastsentencesofthebook:“The
campaignwasover.Theelectiontookplace.Somewon,somelost”(Carvalho,2011:
159). Finally, the well-known Portuguese photographer Paulo Nozolino placed his
2012exhibitionundertheauspiceofEzraPound’spoemUsury(Usura).19Therewere
nine triptychs of black-and-white photos, describable as a moral pronouncement
againstwhateverconfiscatesandalienateshumanbeings,deprivingthemfromdig-
nity,andanalerttotheindispensabilityofcollectivememory.Thephotographerpor-
trays victims of war, migrants, refugees, poor people. And one of the triptychs is
namedEurope—alamentationonEurope’suncertainty.
Reconfiguringtimeandspace:thecrisisasarevealer
It would then be a mistake to confine the sociological inquiry into the artistic
problematizationofthePortuguesecrisistotheexplicitdiscoursesandrepresenta-
tions. Section 2 illustrated that explicit presence. But it is not the only form one
must keep in mind. As section 3 demonstrates, equally relevant are the more
oblique,neverthelessrealandeffectivepresenceofthesocialcrisisasasortofback-
groundandambience,inwhichtopicsandtonesoftheartisticimaginationacquire
(new)meaningandsignificance.
Dothesetwocomplementarywaysexhausttheinterplaybetweensocialcon-
text and artistic activity in the “troika” years? The conventional sociological ap-
proachwouldbetemptedtoansweraffirmatively:thoseweretherefractedeffects
ofthecrisisonthePortugueseworldofart,thoseweretheartisticreactionsandre-
interpretationsraisedinsuchatimeandcontext.Onecouldextendtheresearchon
content,butalongthesetwomainlines.
However,thisisthepointinwhich,inourview,onemustabandonthecon-
ventionalapproach,andseriouslyconceiveartandsociologyas“epistemological
partners”.Therelationbetweenthesocialcontext,challengingasitis,andtheart
work,autonomousandsituatedasitis,cannotbesubsumedunderthe(complex)
causalitychainsatstake.Theyhavealsotoberegardedasindependentsocialpro-
cessesthatdialogueonewiththeother.Thespecificitiesofthecontext—here,the
factthatitinvolvesahugecrisis,bothinpolitical-economicandinmoral-symbolic
terms—doilluminatecertainfeaturesandoutcomesofthatdialogue,whichbegan
beforethecrisisandwouldcontinueafteritsend.Theyactasrevealers.
Ifwelook,inthefirstplace,totheoeuvresthatsomeofthemostprominent
artists — as writers, film directors, composers, stage directors, choreographers,
18 VítorGonçalves,AVidaInvisível,Portugal,2013,103’.
19 PauloNozolino,Usura,exhibitionatEspaçoBESArte&Finança,Lisbon,from20/09/2012to
04/01/2013,curatedbySérgioMah.
SOCIOLOGIA,PROBLEMASEPRÁTICAS,n.º86,2018,pp.27-43. DOI:10.7458/SPP20188611860
36 AugustoSantosSilva,PaulaGuerraeHelenaSantos
andsoon—havebeingconstructingthroughouttheircareer,andthatgrantthem
relevance,coherenceandindividuality,andthenweexaminethespecificworks
theycreatedinthe“troika”years,onefactisstrikingformanyofthem:thenew
contextoftheseyearsdoesnotsignificantlyalterthemaintraitsthatcharacterize
andsingularizetheiroeuvre.Atthesametime,twootherimpressiverealitiesarise.
Ontheonehand,thecrisisambienceaccentuatescertainfeaturesofthecomposi-
tionand/orcertainfeaturesofourreadingandreceptionofeachoeuvre.Onthe
otherhand,andforemost,itispreciselytheinternalstructureoftheoeuvreandthe
relationitundertakeswithitstimethatfeedsandimprovesthesocialunderstand-
ingoftheoccurrenceandsignificanceofthat(hard,shadowy,critical)time.“Social
understanding”comprehendsboththevividexperienceofreaders,viewersand
listeners,andthecollectivevalues,symbolsanddispositionsthattheartfield,as
such,proposestothepublicandsociety.
ThisappliestoseveralartistsworkinginthecontextofthePortuguesecrisis.
FilmdirectorPedroCostahasbuiltup,sincethe1980s,aquitesingularwork,inEu-
ropeanandinternationalterms.Itcanbesaidthatatleastoneofhismainfocusesis
the reinvention of his country: the metamorphosis of the last European colonial
powerintoaperipheralMember-StateoftheEuropeanUnion,havingtodealwith
its colonial memories and sequels. These sequels include the presence of thou-
sandsofimmigrantscomingfromtheformerAfricancoloniestoworkinthecon-
struction industry, public works and unskilled services, who are relegated to
suburbsandghettos,strugglingforsurvivalinterribleconditions—thattherecent
crisisdidaggravate.PedroCosta’spointofviewonPortugalisexactlythisone:
the point of view of black, foreign, uprooted, poor people living in miserable
neighbourhoods of Lisbon, epitomized in his main actor and character, the
Cape-VerdeanVentura.In2014,hisfilmCavaloDinheiro(Horsemoney)situates
Venturainahospital,staticorwalkingwithnopurposethroughdarkcorridors
and tunnels, receiving the visits of his wife and friends (hard, sad, black, im-
pressive faces) and chaotically remembering past events, including the Colo-
nial War, the “25th April” — the day of the military coup that overthrew the
Portuguesedictatorship,in1974—orhismigrationtoLisbon,themarriage,the
work,thefights.20Inthemostimportantsequenceofthefilm,Venturasharesthe
elevatorwithapetrifiedarmedsoldier,theeyesclosed,ashewereastatue—
andhislongdiscourseinCape-VerdeanCreolefacesandquestionsthatdisturb-
ingsymbolbothofthecolonialoppressioninAfricaandofthedemocraticliber-
ationinPortugal.Hasthissomethingdirectlytodowiththesocialcrisisandthe
“troika”‘ssurveillance?No.Butthepointisthatthiscentral,permanenttheme
of Costa’s oeuvre — the enormous dignity of people carrying on that kind of
non-existenceassociatedtosub-urbanism,miseryandotherness—assumesa
newmeaningandrelevance,bothartisticallyandpolitically,intheframework
ofthatcrisisandsurveillance.
Thesamegoesconcerningtheworkofprobablythemostinfluentialofliving
Portuguesenovelists.AntónioLoboAntunespublishedthreenovelsinthe2011-2014
20 PedroCosta,CavaloDinheiro,Portugal,2014,103’.
SOCIOLOGIA,PROBLEMASEPRÁTICAS,n.º86,2018,pp.27-43. DOI:10.7458/SPP20188611860