Architecture and Heritage: The 1922 International Exposition of the Centenary of Independence in Rio de Janeiro

This paper explores the 1922 International Exposition of the Centenary of Independence in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (IECI), where the Brazilian government collaborated with the United States. Significantly, IECI’s architectural program overlooked Brazil’s indigenous and Afro-Brazilian heritage in order to cast Brazil and the U.S. as equals. According to the IECI, both were European settler societies and both were rising American powers. Meanwhile, the concurrent 1922 Modern Art Week in São Paulo highlighted avant-garde activities centered on Brazil's non-European cultures. The media took note of this contrast and emphasized the lack of indigenous and Afro-Brazilian representation. Careta magazine’s October 1922 cover, for example, featured a boiadeiro (akin to a U.S. cowboy) addressing a caboclo (of mixed indigenous and European ancestry) wearing traditional attire. Referring to the Cuauhtémoc monument gifted by Mexico at the event, the caboclo lamented, "If it weren't for Mexico, I would not have had any mention as a historical part of your nationhood.” The rising tide of Hispanic-American disavowal of indigenist trends was reinforced by the Mexican gift and reveals the government’s hesitation to be considered part of Latin America at all. This paper argues that the IECI's choice of neocolonial architecture, graphic materials, publications, and the demolition of Castelo Hill in preparation for the exposition reflect a deliberate oversight. This omission supports a narrative of modernization aimed at distinguishing Brazil from the broader Latin American context and betrays the government's reluctance to consider align with Latin America in cultural terms.