The nerves of the far-right and extreme conservative supporters of the President of Brazil, Jair Bolosonaro The artwork depicting a huge (33m) female vagina on a hillside in red was arousing.
The sculpture (it is land art) made of concrete bearing the title “Diva.” is a creation of the famous artist Juliana Notari and was presented on Saturday in an art park in Pernambuco which is also the most culturally vibrant state in the country.
In a post on her profile on Facebook, Notari, referring to her creation, says that she aims to «question the relationship between nature and culture in the phallocentric, anthropocentric Western society» and provoke a discussion about the «reflection on gender».
«Today these issues are becoming more and more urgent», she added, apparently referring to the increasingly less tolerant climate in Brazil of Bolosonaro and his far-right supporters who unfortunately permeate all classes and sectors of society and the establishment.
Her claim was confirmed just a few minutes after her post, under which countless comments full of anger, rage, unsubstantiated accusations and insults and obscene expressions were written.
«Who do you leftists think you are fooling? Apart from the useful idiots on the left,» commented one of her more restrained critics.
And the political guru of Bolosnaro, All right, Carvallo. posted a vulgar post on Twitter making suggestions on how a female vagina should be treated by ”males”.
Of course, there were many who commented positively on the sculpture and Notari's attitude.
«There's a lot to think about in this piece,» tweeted famous trans cartoonist Laerte Coutinho, while another commented: «I loved it! A familiar place of ours exposed with such beauty. We need more works like this that showcase feminism and its nuances.».
Ο Glue Mendonça Filho, a director from Pernambuco where the play is hosted, praised Notari for responding with a huge female vagina in the most conservative period of Brazilian history. «The reactions to your work are a mirror [of society], a success,» he wrote in Twitter.
Since taking office in 2019, Bolsonaro has repeatedly attacked people in the arts - many of whom oppose his government - calling them ”decadent” and ”finished” and accusing them of ”milking public funds” to sell communist junk.
