THE FIRE AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN SUBTERRÂNEA

ABSTRACT

This article addresses the fire that occurred at the headquarters of the National Museum in 2018 through the feature film Subterrânea (2021), directed by Pedro Urano, a science fiction in dialogue with documentary. In addition to being the first fictional film to explore the theme, Subterrânea connects the tragedy to other events that shaped the landscape of Rio de Janeiro. In doing so, it comments on how not only the city but the country functions, a mode based on the logic of destruction. Subterrânea is examined both aesthetically and discursively, mobilizing, among others, Lima Barreto and Hélio Oiticica, references for the film. To achieve that purpose, Subterrânea is situated in the context of the 2010s in Brazil and in the contemporary debate on the aesthetics of ruins.

KEYWORDS
National Museum; Subterrânea ; Fire; Ruin; Aesthetics