The construction of heterotopic choreo-polyphonies in the gardens of the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

The aim was to rethink the ways in which festive bodies, which move to the sound of different musical genres (which are generally reproduced mechanically and associated with various musical genres) and are part of the city’s daily life – constructing other territorialities, ambiances and urban imaginaries –, have been affecting the dynamics of the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro through interactions. This article analyzes the results obtained throughout a sensitive cartography – which involved actors (human and non-human) in the last decade in the gardens of this museum – that was developed throughout the years of 2024 and 2025. The methodological practice adopted was a corpographic and archipelagic episteme (elaborated through observations, informal conversations, interviews, and urban drifts), seeking to track the actors involved in performative and/or associative dynamics, which have been building powerful sonic-musical territorialities in recent years that contribute in a relevant way to the resignification of urban experiences in this iconic location of the city.