Research Alive | Searching for Identity: Brazil, 1922, and the Sound of a Nation
Title: Searching for Identity: Brazil, 1922, and the Sound of a Nation
Luis Almeida, current Cello Performance PhD, winner of the 2025–2026 Research Alive Student Prize
The Week of Modern Art, also known as the Week of 22, marked a pivotal moment in Brazilian cultural history. Organized by Mário de Andrade (1883-1945), this festival sought to redefine Brazilian artistic identity by blending a modernist artistic vision with national elements. Over three days, prominent artists like Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) showcased works that sparked debates about tradition, modernity, and cultural independence. This presentation examines the Week of 22 from a postcolonial perspective, highlighting its paradoxes. While the festival promoted a nationalist agenda, it paradoxically aligned Brazilian art with European aesthetics, revealing enduring colonial influences.
The choice of São Paulo as its location underscored the socio-economic privileges shaping this artistic movement, as social and economic elites largely defined the emerging national identity. Figures like Villa-Lobos embodied the contradictions of this period, initially advancing Andrade’s vision but later catering to European tastes to further their careers. Additionally, the exclusion of popular genres like samba and choro, representative of Brazil’s black and urban communities, raises questions about whose voices were included in defining “Brazilianness.” Despite its shortcomings, the Semana de 22 was instrumental in fostering critical discourse on Brazilian art and culture. Through analysis of its participants, outcomes, and historical context, this study reveals the complexities of cultural identity formation in postcolonial Brazil. The Week of 22 stands as a landmark event that continues to inspire reflection on cultural representation and artistic innovation.
The Research Alive Student Prize is made possible by a generous donation from Ms. Jill de Villafranca and Dr. David Kostiuk.
Presented as part of the Doctoral Colloquium Series.
