Cartografias do moderno. A trajetória de Carmen Portinho

Abstract

This research examines the trajectory of Carmen Portinho and her networks of sociability, highlighting her contribution to both the construction of the modern metropolis and the consolidation of modern art in Brazil, with a focus on the city of Rio de Janeiro. The investigation covers different dimensions of her work: her participation in the feminist movement of the early 20th century, her contribution as an engineer and urban planner, and her role as a cultural manager in affirming aesthetic cosmopolitanism in the country. In this context, her work at the Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro (MAM-RJ) and her management at the Escola Superior de Desenho Industrial (ESDI) are analyzed as key milestones in the institutionalization of modern art and design in Brazil. The research proposes a new cartographic approach to modernity in the carioca context through three diagrams, based on the intersection of primary data with specialized bibliography, linking Portinho's multiple areas of activity to the urban and cultural transformations of the city. By highlighting her significance in various fields, this research aims to broaden and redefine her role in the history of Brazilian modern art, consolidating her as an important figure in the process of institutionalizing modern art in the country.