Aline Baiana
The cross of the South, 2020

Artist
Aline Baiana

Title
The cross of the South

Year of creation
2020

Technique and dimensions
5 rocks (banded ore, gold-bearing conglomerate, gemstone, itabirite, copper-bearing conglomerate), wire ropes, computer parts, iron ore, epoxy resin and mining waste resulting from environmental crime in Brumadinho, BR, variable dimension

Year of acquisition
2021

Acquisition of the foundation

The work The Cross of the South by Aline Baiana consists of five pieces of rock that are hung in the exhibition space in such a way that they imitate the constellation of the constellation of the same name. The stones contain various minerals that occur in Brazil and are still mined there by local and international mining companies: iron ore, copper ore and gold, among others. Since mining represents a significant source of income for the Brazilian economy, the state shows little interest in protecting the environment or the indigenous population living in the mining areas from its devastating consequences. Baiana's installation makes visible the extent to which the Southern Cross is entangled between two worldviews. While this constellation, which is only visible in the southern hemisphere of the earth, has always had a fixed place in the spiritual cosmos of indigenous communities, the Portuguese first saw it in the 15th century: they used it on their voyage of discovery and ultimately during the colonization of Brazil from 1500 onwards as an orientation aid, as its extended longitudinal axis points almost exactly to the southern celestial pole. The installation, which also includes a compass lying on the floor, also points south. This orientation suggests that greater consideration should be given to the perspective of the Global South and its indigenous communities when balancing land use and environmental protection.

Text: Daniel Milnes