Em nome da Liberdade (In the Name of Freedom)

Her performance Em nome da Liberdade (In the Name of Freedom) is inspired by two of her books, the poetry collection Aquenda – O Amor Às Vezes É Isso [Aquenda – Sometimes Love Is Like This] and the narrative poem Memória Tem Águas Espessas [Memory Has Dense Waters]. In the first of these works, Vitrolira explores the contradictions of love.


She shows how it can be understood not only as an intimate connection but also as a social force of oppression. Vitrolira addresses the physical, verbal, and psychological violence perpetrated in the name of romantic love, revealing its effects, particularly on the bodies and lives of racialized women.


In the second book, she addresses the historical wounds created by the erasure of Black history in Brazil and the concomitant genealogical ruptures. She makes tangible the power that lies in reconnecting with the past and ancestors, the same power that also permeates dreams of new futures rooted in desires for healing and freedom.


Both works are closely connected to the author's personal history, rooted in the Zona da Mata region of Pernambuco, a region marked by sugarcane cultivation and colonial violence. Combining spoken-word elements, song, and spirituality, Vitrolira transforms her personal experiences into a collective ritual in this performance.


Names of Freedom resists the various forms of silence imposed on Black women. Instead, she establishes language as a site of healing, renewed connection, and continuity.


Performance

(in Portuguese)

Free admission