When the Backlands Won the Sea Exhibition

PROJECT INTRODUCTION

This exhibition project, curated by Lu Basile, celebrates the life and work of the composer Humberto Teixeira (1915 - 1979), an icon of Brazilian music, through an immersive and interactive exhibition at the Museum of Image and Sound of Ceará (MIS CE). The exhibition will guide visitors through various themes, including the history of Brazil and Brazilian music, the musician's partnerships with Luiz Gonzaga and Lauro Maia, his composition process, life in Rio de Janeiro, political involvement, and his fight for the recognition of national music. In addition to items from the personal collection of the Ceará artist, previously unreleased works, photos, and musical instruments will also be displayed.

CHALLENGE

The goal was to develop a dynamic and immersive exhibition that would occupy the +2 and -2 floors of the museum, telling a rich musical story with a collection of over ten significant tracks, without allowing the sound to spread throughout the environment. Furthermore, the project aimed to bring rhythm and enjoyment to the visitors.​​​​​​​

To effectively organize the narrative and moments of the musician's life, the exhibition was divided across two floors. On the +2 floor, the focus is on the artist's biography and his musical production. We will wrap the exhibition ceiling with over 40 meters of continuous band featuring digitized excerpts from Humberto Teixeira's songbook, including handwritten musical scores by the composer.

The exhibition was divided into 6 parts of the composer's life, which are: 1. His arrival in Rio de Janeiro, 2. His involvement with the musical rhythm 'Baião' and partnership with Luís Gonzaga, 3. His involvement in politics, 4. The international tours where the composer took the rhythm to Europe, 5. The opening of the Clube das Chaves, 6. His love affairs. ​​​​​​​

The exhibition design concept was based on historical research, inspired by the aesthetics of magazines from the 1940s and 1950s. Using a combination of texts, images, music, dance, natural elements like trees and birds, and other delicate surprises, we created an interactive, creative, and captivating experience.

To facilitate visitor understanding, the panels were divided into two types: Opening Panels, which introduce the respective theme, and Common Panels, which narrate the story and include text and images. The Opening Panels will consist of layers, including: 1. A background with the title, and 2. A highlighted image cutout that summarizes the theme.

In addition to various pictures, 13 songs by Humberto Teixeira performed by different artists, were made available. During the visit, the public can listen to these songs individually, using headphones designed in the style of historical telephones, and also access videos with lyrics interpreted in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), ensuring accessibility for the deaf community. Audio description resources are also available to help blind or visually impaired visitors understand the layout of the space.

On the -2 floor, the exhibition explores the universe of "baião", featuring typical musical instruments, a projection that teaches the basic dance steps in the mirror shape, and installations that evoke Humberto Teixeira's connection to the "sertão" biome, with representations of trees and birds from the caatinga. In the hall of this floor, a minimalist installation references Humberto Teixeira's phrase to his daughter, expressing his wish to "bottle the clouds" as a gift for her, aiming to create a poetic experience that reflects the spirit of an artist who lived and breathed poetry through his music. The overarching goal is to develop a poetic exhibition for a man who brought poetry to life.

​​​​​​​

Instagram  |  MIS