to Bully a Nation

In this performance, Hugo Faz presents themself fully painted in the vibrant colors of the Brazilian flag — dancing joyously to the rhythms of a traditional carnival song. “Oh make way, for I want to pass”.

The act begins with a celebration of freedom, expression, and national pride, evoking Brazil’s cultural exuberance and the unity experienced during carnival and reflecting a liberated self, resonating with the collective joy Brazilians find in their identity and sovereignty.

However, this joy is disrupted when the 𝕏 logo is painted over the artist’s body in violent strokes. Each mark strips away the colors that symbolize freedom, nullifying self expression, until the artist is fully engulfed in black paint. The lively, celebratory spirit is smothered, leaving behind a figure overcome by the forces of suppression and control.

This performance draws on recent events in Brazil, where the judicial decision to block 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) sparked debates on sovereignty, freedom, and censorship. Faz’s work critiques the ways in which external powers — embodied by Elon Musk’s selective compliance with judicial orders — attempt to impose their will on sovereign nations, dismissing the rule of law when convenient. The erasure of the national colors symbolizes the disregard for sovereignty and the imposition of foreign narratives over a people’s right to self-determination.

The black 𝕏 logo, repeated relentlessly over the artist’s body, represents the suffocating influence of unchecked corporate power and the hypocrisy of those who claim to champion free speech, yet comply with authoritarian regimes when it suits their agenda. Brazil’s young democracy struggles to resist against such forces, despite the nation’s majority standing firm in the defense of the rule of law. This performance is a response to that struggle — a visual manifesto that denounces and challenges the erasure of identity, freedom, and self-determination.

The piece doesn’t end with the oppression, however. In a deliberate act, the video is reversed, suggesting that the removal of 𝕏 from Brazil may actually bring back relief and joy — a breath of fresh air for the nation’s mental health.

Through this work, Hugo Faz seeks to explore the fragile balance between joy and oppression, expression and censorship. As the communal areas of the virtual space, once vibrant and free, become a slate for imposed and manipulative narratives, the audience is invited to reflect on the broader implications of the centralization of ubiquitous platforms supposed to uphold freedom to speak, act, and exist in a world increasingly shaped by corporate and political interests.