Rivane Neuenschwander & Cao Guimarães

From a low vantage point and close-up of the camera, we see armies of red and black ants moving brightly colored confetti through the rain forest. This video embodies a wealth of references to Brazilian culture. The ants refer to a statement by the antihero Macunaíma in Mário de Andrade's eponymous novel from 1928. The work's title refers to Ash Wednesday, the melancholy period following Carnival and the start of Lent. Its soundtrack is a blend of ambient noise and the Samba tradition of improvised instruments, such as match boxes, plate and fork, as well as cardboard fruit packaging. The work is regarded as an allegory for the rhythm of work and leisure, and as one of the most iconic works of Brazilian art from recent decades.