In 1825, the recognition of the independence and sovereignty of the Empire of Brazil by Portugal paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the new state and the European monarchies, among them the Kingdom of France. Many men and women – travellers, exiles, migrants – had not waited for such official recognition to cross the Atlantic in both directions, setting words, ideas, and knowledge in motion.

Over two hundred years, France and Brazil, both of which are republics today, have changed profoundly, as has the world in which they have evolved and their respective stature on the international stage. This bicentennial therefore offers the opportunity to revisit two hundred years of intertwined history(ies), shared experiences and struggles. More than a simple commemoration, this exhibition, conceived by two historians, invites reflection on the reality and nature of those much-celebrated affinities between France and Brazil, without omitting the shadows, divergences and frictions that have at times punctuated their relationship, for history, as an approach within the human and social sciences, is an exercise in lucidity.

Esta viagem através do tempo não segue uma linha cronológica, mas propõe uma navegação de tema em tema, ao longo dos intercâmbios franco-brasileiros. Está longe de esgotar a sua riqueza; contém muitas lacunas que resultam da necessidade de fazer escolhas ou da carência de documentos disponíveis. Cada um dos temas selecionados poderia dar origem a uma exposição por si só.

This journey through time is not set in a chronological line, but proposes a navigation from theme to theme along the course of Franco-Brazilian exchanges. It is far from exhausting their scope; it houses many gaps resulting either from the need to make choices or from the scarcity of available documents. Each of the selected themes could give rise to an exhibition in its own right.

The proposed itinerary offers an opportunity to become more familiar with one another better, to question reciprocal representations, which often boil down to a handful of social types and a few phantoms, and to assess their variations. It highlights one unique feature of the relationship between France and Brazil: the existence of a shared land border, on both sides of the Oiapoque River in Amazonia, situated at the forefront of the immense challenges facing contemporary societies, such as respect for multiculturalism, the defense of democracy, the pursuit of a fairer society and world, and all the consequences of climate change currently under discussion in Belém, host city for COP 30.

Armelle Enders and Giselle Venâncio

Curators