EXHIBITIONS: THE WAR WAS HERE and SUGAR CANE JUICE – A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY OF CACHAÇA
Authors: Ana Rolim and Kate Saraiva
THE WAR WAS HERE
This exhibition was designed for 5 different Caixa Cultural locations, a complex of cultural centers located in different capitals of Brazil. In 1942, the U.S. established naval air bases along Brazil's North-Northeast coast. Following attacks on Brazilian merchant vessels by German and Italian submarines, Brazil declared war on Nazi Germany and fascist Italy. Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte state, became the largest American Air Force base abroad, hosting 10,000 soldiers that transformed the city's landscape. The cultural influence of the American presence left a lasting impact on Natal and the Northeast region. The exhibition portrays this historical context, showcasing Brazil's defense and industrial efforts and the U.S. influence through language, music, and women's emancipation.
SUGAR CANE JUICE – A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY OF CACHAÇA
The exhibition comprises four scenographic environments housing archival, historical, and artistic photographs and objects recounting the rich history of cachaça and the laborers who crafted it. Narrating a tale of both revelry and the injustices inherent in human labor, these exhibition spaces showcase a myriad of artifacts, from vintage bottles and labels to barrels, alongside lithographs, banners, and evocative images capturing the essence of the cachaça landscape and the people integral to the production of this iconic Brazilian rum.
 The War Was Here - Exhibition layout in Caixa Cultural Recife, ground floor gallery |  The War Was Here exhibition in central atrium |  The War Was Here - the influence of food in the context of the WWII |
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 The War Was Here - Introduction space |  The War Was Here - exhibition layouts in Caixa Cultural in Sao Paulo and in Curitiba. |  The War Was Here - exhibition layouts in Caixa Cultural in Fortaleza and in Brasilia. |
 Sugar Cane Juice - A Photobiography of Cachaça: exhibition layout in Caixa Cultural Recife. |  Sugar Cane Juice - A Photobiography of Cachaça: view from Introduction space in Caixa Cultural Recife. |  Gallery two, with banners, hanging from the ceiling and images of universe of the forest area, sugarcane fields and planting |
 View of central atrium from mezzanine: the "Boteco" (or dive bar), a space for contemplation and meetings, reminiscent of the secular bodegas in the countryside. |  Images of enlarged cachaça labels and the culture of cachaça production |  Sugar Cane Juice - A Photobiography of Cachaça: Overall view of gallery 1 in Caixa Cultural Fortaleza |
 Sugar Cane Juice - A Photobiography of Cachaça: Overall view of gallery 1 in Caixa Cultural in Sao Paulo. |