Faxinal das Artes: The constitution of a museum collection from an artistic residence

Abstract

This article discusses artistic residencies in Brazil and, more specifically, the residence of Faxinal das Artes, which took place in 2002, in Pinhão city, in Paraná, at the initiative of the government of the state. The program, which lasted fourteen days, was attended by 98 artists from 16 Brazilian states and had the curatorship of Agnaldo Farias and Fernando Bini. One of the intentions of the organizers was that the event would result in the constitution of a contemporary art collection for the Paraná state. After a period of uncertainty, the 104 works delivered by the artists were finally incorporated into the collection of the Paraná Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC PR), where they remain since then. The objective of this text is to draw attention to the motivations, the choices and the results of this program, considered by its organizers as the first major residence in the country. Interviews, bibliographic and documental surveys, technical visits to MAC PR and the analysis of the theoretical framework on the subject were conducted during my PhD. We conclude that the residence achieved the objectives proposed by its organizers; however, the very subsequent developments with the collection and continuity with the event minimized the potential of its results and generated difficulties in the musealization of the works.