Museu dos meninos (MdM), ‘Museum of Children’, is a transdisciplinary arts project that involves mapping and the collection and preservation of narratives and memories of Afro-Brazilian youth between the ages of 15 and 29. These young men live in the Complexo do Alemão, an area composed of many favelas in the city of Rio de Janeiro. They are the main victims of what amounts to a genocide of the Afro-Brazilian population.
At ICAF 2020, MdM is presented in the form of a video installation that is open to the public. In it, visitors can view the 30 videos that will be exhibited in a continuous looping format. A live solo performance will be presented by the actor Mauricio Lima, who is also the main initiator of Museu dos Meninos. He is born and raised in the Complexo do Alemão and he himself is, in fact, one of the meninos (children) that give their name to this unusual museum. His performance will have a strong documentary element. It will be based on interviews and the performer’s own childhood and adolescent memories while growing up in the favela. It includes images of the interventions held in Complexo do Alemão.