Jaime Lauriano is well known for his approach to Afro-Brazilian topics, including reflections on the condition of the Black people in Brazil throughout history. Pedras portuguesas #1, #2 and #3 carry references to the three African regions that shipped the highest number of slaves to Brazil: Angola, the Gold Coast (“Costa da Mina” in Portuguese, which belongs to MASP) and Mozambique. The title of the works carries a double meaning. On the one hand, it makes reference to the material used: Portuguese stones, which are very present in Brazilian urbanism and architecture, like the boardwalk of Copacabana Beach, in Rio de Janeiro. On the other hand, it alludes to the evils that Portuguese colonization “solidified” or “petrified” in the countries where it purchased and exploited slave work systematically. In this sense, Lauriano’s work tries to bring forward reflections on today’s consequences of the slave period and also questions the Afro-Atlantic ebbs and flows that marked Africa, Brazil and Portugal.

— Adriano Pedrosa, Artistic Director, Tomás Toledo, Chief Curator , MASP

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