Remembering <i>Arte Guerrilha</i> in postdictatorial(ising) Brazil

This article explores memory activists’ uses of past forms of artistic expression in relation to the opportunities and constraints of the present. In the wider context of Brazil’s ‘turn to memory’ (2007–2012), the article examines contemporary activist art collectives’ appropriations of 1970s avant-garde aesthetics, particularly the works defined by art critic Frederico Morais (1970) as arte guerrilha , to address the country’s dictatorial legacies. I argue that the creative decisions made by activists in adapting historical art practices – which were originally created in direct reaction to State censorship and violence during the dictatorship – reflect the contradictions inherent in the postdictatorial governments’ reconciliation efforts. Finally, the article calls attention to the limitations of such creative forms of memory activism in effecting systemic change in Brazil, while emphasising their important role in fostering participatory forms of, and affective engagement with, transitional justice in postdictatorial(ising) contexts.