Kika Carvalho and Mulambö are taking part in the exhibition Dignity and Struggle: Laudelina de Campos Mello, which opens this following Saturday 22 March at the Instituto Moreira Salles (IMS) in Poços de Caldas (MG).

Curated by Raquel Barreto and Renata Sampaio, the exhibition celebrates the career of one of the main activists for the rights of domestic workers in Brazil. The exhibition brings together photographs, documents, personal objects and works by 41 artists who dialogue with the contemporary struggles of the category, addressing issues such as work, inequality and resistance.

Mulambö is presenting two iconic works from his career: Feijoada IV (2020), a painting on a glass plate, and I Wanted a Brush, They Gave Me a Broom (2018), a painting on a broom.

Meanwhile, Kika Carvalho is showcasing the commissioned canvas Mr. Chopin, I’m Sorry, an extension of a series she began in 2021, in which she portrays Black women active in the visual arts circuit. In this new work, the artist references Brazilian music, theater, and television drama, highlighting actresses Zezé Motta, Ruth de Souza, and Léa Garcia. The title alludes to the music of Johnny Alf, considered the father of bossa nova—a genre later incorporated into Brazilian telenovelas in specific contexts, typically associated with leisure, relaxation, and socializing.

Far from suggesting an aspiration to the elite, the scene depicted contains no luxury items or indications of servitude. The white clothing, which in a society historically marked by segregation might be associated with the uniforms of nannies and maids, takes on another meaning here: it simply signifies the day of the week—Friday.

The exhibition runs until 14 September.

For more information, click here.