Museu Vale brings a free exhibition to Pedra da Cebola Park that tells life stories through cordel.

“Vidas em Cordel” (Lives in Cordel) is a partnership with the Museu da Pessoa in São Paulo and features 23 works, including two stories about Espírito Santo personalities and a tribute.

Who doesn’t love hearing and telling good stories? And what if those stories are filled with rhyme, art, and tradition? Even better, right? It’s the unmissable combination of an exhibition that’s been sweeping Brazil and is now arriving—with free admission—in Vitória: “Vidas em Cordel,” the result of a partnership between the Museu Vale, currently in its off-campus phase, and the Museu da Pessoa. From May 20th to June 22nd, Pedra da Cebola Park will be transformed into an open-air gallery. Twenty-three life stories will be presented in illustrated cordel form, including two from Espírito Santo and a tribute to Dona Domingas, a symbol of the struggle of the state’s Black population.

Visiting hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. For schools, educational visits can be scheduled by calling (27) 9 9252-7525 or by emailing educativo.mv@institutoculturalvale.org.

Espirito Santo natives Regina Maria Ruschi and Dilvana Silva Santos are among those honored with their cordéis, specially included in this exhibition. Their journeys are rich with stories to tell. Regina is the founder of the Barra de Renda Group, which since 2015 has dedicated itself to passing on the bobbin lace technique from generation to generation in the bucolic resort town of Barra do Jucu, in Vila Velha.

The public will also have the opportunity to learn about the story of Dilvana Silva Santos, who led selective waste collection and environmental education in Colatina, aiming to reduce the amount of dry recyclable waste sent to the municipal landfill, as well as reintroduce this material into the production chain, generating income for its members.

The stories of these Capixabas who make a difference were brought to life in the art of cordel through the talent of Marco Haurélio and woodcuts by Lucélia Borges, in the case of Regina, and through Rouxinol do Rinaré with Julie Oliveira and woodcuts by Artur Soares, in the case of Dilvana. The exhibition also features works by talented cordel writers such as Bule-Bule, Klévisson Viana, Nilza Dias, Gigio Paiva, Jonas Samaúma, José Santos, and Maria Celma, and visual artists such as Maércio Siqueira, Jefferson Campos, and Regina Drozina, creating a powerful intersection between folk art and social memory that has made cordel literature a Brazilian Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The exhibition presents several remarkable accounts, including those of journalist Gilberto Dimenstein and Indigenous leader Ailton Krenak, an immortal of the Brazilian Academy of Letters. Also highlighted is the career of MC Kawex, a rapper who spent 20 years in conditions of extreme vulnerability and used music as a tool for denunciation and social expression. Among the portraits on display is that of César Vieira, the pseudonym of Idibal Matto Pivetta, a lawyer who played a key role in defending political prisoners during the military dictatorship in Brazil.

Furthermore, this edition will pay tribute to Dona Domingas, remembered not only as a popular figure in Vitória, but as a representation of so many other Black stories that have been erased or poorly told. “Her inclusion is a gesture of recognition of the value of her career and as a symbol of the collective struggle in which she, albeit unconsciously, participated,” emphasizes researcher Marcus Vinícius Sant’Ana, who was invited to write this story.

For Claudia Afonso, director of the Museu Vale, telling these stories through cordel and woodcuts is a way to highlight and value the memories of people who built our country with knowledge, crafts, and struggles that are often invisible. “By presenting the stories of Capixabas like Regina, Dilvana, and Dona Domingas, we reinforce the Museum’s commitment to valuing popular culture and local memory. But it’s especially powerful to know that these voices won’t be restricted to Espírito Santo. The exhibition’s traveling tour will allow them to resonate in other Brazilian states, while the stories recorded in the booth will become part of the Museu da Pessoa collection and will be available online and accessible. It’s a way to preserve and amplify what’s most precious to us: the real stories that shape us as a society.”

Making Your Own Story

What if, after exploring so many incredible stories, the public could tell their own story? A booth set up in Pedra da Cebola Park will enable this literary adventure for Espírito Santo residents and tourists. The material created will be available on the Museu da Pessoa website. The productions, by the way, can be viewed at https://memo.museudapessoa.org/vidas-em-cordel/conte-sua-historia/.

To continue its mission of valuing life narratives through cordel literature and woodcuts, promoting collective memory and the recognition of inspiring stories, the exhibition will travel to the Northwest region starting June 26th, at the Colatina Science Center.

On display since August 2023, the exhibition has already visited São José do Paiaiá (BA), Mucugê (BA), Feira de Santana (BA), Salvador (BA), Santa Cruz da Venerada (PE), Paracatu (MG), and São Paulo (SP). More than 100,000 people have visited the works in person, and approximately 150,000 have viewed the digital version.

The Vidas em Cordel exhibition is an initiative of the Museu Vale and the Vale Cultural Institute in partnership with the Museu da Pessoa, sponsored by Vale, and organized by the Ministry of Culture, through the Cultural Incentive Law.

Training for Education Professionals

Based on the exhibition’s theme, the Museu Vale, in partnership with the Museu da Pessoa, will hold the training session “Cordel Literature: From the Backlands to the Classroom,” aimed at education professionals. The activity will be led by cordel writer Marco Haurélio, with the goal of presenting the possibilities of using cordel literature in school contexts and educational settings.

The training is in-person, free, and will take place on May 21st, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., in the Museu Vale Educational Room, in Vale Botanical Park, in Jardim Camburi. Registration is open until noon on May 20th, at museuvale.org.

Museu Vale Extramuros 

The Museu Vale, in its off-site presence, expands its activities and brings diverse artistic expressions and educational programs to squares, parks, schools, and other cultural institutions, reaching new audiences and encompassing other municipalities in Greater Vitória. Through exchanges and knowledge sharing, the Museum’s work continues its legacy of preserving cultural memory, enabling and fostering research, education, communication, and training initiatives, always closely aligned with the productions of the state of Espírito Santo.

Highlights include the latest exhibitions developed by the Museu Vale, which attracted over 170,000 visitors: “Transiting Time,” “Flicking Through,” “The Extraordinary Universe of Leonardo Da Vinci,” “Memories of the Future – A Look at the IHGB Collection,” and the exhibition “Where Dreams Emerge – The Andre and José Olympio Pereira Collection.”

Service

Vidas em Cordel – Vitória

Visiting Hours: May 20 to June 22

Location: Pedra da Cebola Park, on Ana Viêira Mafra Street, s/n – Mata da Praia, Vitória.

Admission: Free, all ages.

School groups: Bookings by phone (27) 9 9252-7525 or by email at educativo.mv@institutoculturalvale.org