We are thrilled to announce that the artwork “‘Shakings – The Two Shores of the Atlantic“ (2015), by Brazilian artist Ayrson Heráclito, is now part of the permanent collection of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.

A profound investigation into the consequences of Portuguese colonization and the transatlantic slave trade, this seminal work by Heráclito connects the shared histories of Brazil and Africa through two performances carried out on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Shaking of the House of the Tower takes place in Salvador, Bahia, at the home of a colonial family that amassed land and wealth through the enslavement of Indigenous people. Meanwhile, The Shaking of the Maison des Enclaves in Gorée was filmed at the historic Maison des Enclaves on Gorée Island, Senegal.

In both locations, three men dressed in white perform an Afro-Brazilian spiritual cleansing ritual, aiming to exorcise these historic buildings of their colonial and enslaving past.

Conceived as a two-channel video installation, this work has been featured in several significant exhibitions worldwide, including the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017.

This acquisition by the Guggenheim underscores the importance of Heráclito’s work in shedding light on complex historical narratives, expanding the impact of his art to global audiences.