The Colônia neighborhood in Taquara (Jacarepaguá) is a residential area that developed around a psychiatric institution, the Colônia Juliano Moreira. In the past, this land belonged to the Nossa Senhora dos Remédios sugar mill, located in rural areas far from the early urban centers of the city, known as the Sertão Carioca.
A community of residents formed around Colônia Juliano Moreira, consisting of former employees and patients. Today, Colônia Juliano Moreira hosts various projects focused on psychosocial reintegration, breaking social barriers, community engagement, and inclusion.
The Museum Bispo do Rosário Contemporary Art is housed in one of its historic buildings, preserving and promoting the artistic works of Arthur Bispo do Rosário, a Black man from Sergipe who was one of the patients at Colônia Juliano Moreira. His story connects with that of many others who were stigmatized and marginalized due to their profile (such as ethnic origin, social class, neurodivergent characteristics, among others) and were therefore forcibly housed in psychiatric institutions.
The Rolé through Colônia Juliano Moreira highlights those who have been marginalized in Rio de Janeiro’s narratives for centuries, also contributing to the strengthening of suburban memories. It shares the history of this territory, which is one of the symbols of the Jacarepaguá neighborhood, holding great historical, artistic, cultural, and architectural value, and playing a significant role in the discussion of building a psychiatric medicine that respects human rights.
Arthur Bispo do Rosário (1909-1989) was a Black artist from Sergipe and one of the patients of the Colônia Juliano Moreira. The museum aims to preserve and disseminate Bispo’s works, as well as to develop other initiatives through its collection. It includes galleries of contemporary art exhibitions, drawing inspiration from Bispo do Rosário, and offers free educational programs.
Dating back to the 19th century, this neoclassical-style church employed some patients to perform maintenance services, such as caretaker and gardener. It is important to note that the church fulfilled state functions until the proclamation of the Republic in 1889, a moment when the separation between Church and State took place. This practice of disseminating Catholic rituals throughout the Colônia also represented a way to expand religious influence.
The Historical Nucleus Rodrigues Caldas (NHRC) was the first pavilion complex of the Colônia Juliano Moreira, where historical archaeology of the old sugar mill still exists, including this aqueduct system that was irrigated with water from the current Pedra Branca State Park, along with other ruins. In colonial Brazil, the labor force was predominantly made up of enslaved Africans and Indigenous people. One of their resistance strategies was the formation of Quilombos. In the Pedra Branca State Park, there are still remnants of Quilombola communities, such as Dona Bilina (Campo Grande), Camorim (Jacarepaguá), and Cafundá-Astrogilda (Vargem Grande).
After the expropriation of the sugar mill lands for the construction of the Colônia, the building became home to the medical and administrative center due to its central location relative to the pavilions. Neurodivergent individuals, treated as mentally ill, did not receive adequate medical care and were placed in prisons or cells of the Santas Casas de Misericórdia. In the early 20th century, the doctrine of Hygienism spread, where modernization and improved sanitary conditions were used as justification to implement policies of segregation and social exclusion. In this context, many of these individuals were sent to hospital facilities like the Colônia Juliano Moreira.
From the 17th century onwards, water supply in the city of Rio de Janeiro was provided through fountains, water spouts, and aqueducts. Indigenous and African slaves transported water using buckets and cans to supply their masters' residences, as even the wealthiest homes did not have piped water and sewage systems.
The Ulisses Vianna Nucleus was walled and had 11 pavilions designed for male patients with violent and agitated behavior, with cells similar to solitary confinement in prisons. Arthur Bispo do Rosário was housed in pavilion 10 after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Pavilion 10 is the only remaining part of the original structure and contains evidence of Bispo's works, which are now preserved at the Museum Bispo do Rosário Contemporary Art.
The Gaia Studio of the Museum Bispo do Rosário Contemporary Art is a therapeutic and creative space with a history of providing psychosocial rehabilitation for the involved artists, valuing their subjectivities and breaking with a series of stigmas associated with users of the mental health network. The space is collectively managed by the artists with the support and supervision of the museum’s general and educational curatorship.
Arthur Bispo do Rosário (1909-1989), a Black man from Sergipe, Brazil, was admitted to the Colônia Juliano Moreira after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia due to his prophetic visions. Before this, he had worked as a sailor, boxer, and in various informal jobs. On several occasions, he escaped from hospitalizations and managed to gain privileges, such as avoiding electroshock therapy and medications. Isolated in his cell, pieces of wood, wire, cardboard, thread, and other materials from the colony became the raw materials for his artworks, which are now preserved at the Museu Bispo do Rosário Arte Contemporânea.
Stella do Patrocínio, like Arthur Bispo do Rosário, was approached by the police and forcibly admitted to the Centro Psiquiátrico Pedro II at the age of 21. She was later transferred to the Colônia Juliano Moreira, where she remained until her death at the age of 51. In an artistic project for female patients, Stella and artist Carla Guagliardi recorded conversations that Stella referred to as "falatório" (chatter). Excerpts from Stella's Falatório can be heard on the Museu Bispo do Rosário website at https://museubispodorosario.com/stella-do-patrocinio-memorias/.
The podcast Eu Vim Contar uma História (I Came to Tell a Story) is a project carried out by the Museu Bispo do Rosário in partnership with the Escola Municipal Juliano Moreira. The starting point of the stories created are the locations in the Colônia neighborhood, where the school and museum are located. Around 70 children identified these places and began inventing stories. There's horror, documentary, romance, comedy, drama... In total, there are 13 episodes, with narratives set in the neighborhood itself.
The Colônia Juliano Moreira was named in honor of one of the pioneers of psychiatry in Brazil. Juliano Moreira was a physician from Bahia, a researcher, and a scientific disseminator who adopted a more humane approach to treating patients, such as eliminating bars and straitjackets, separating patients by gender and age group, and implementing workshops for occupational activities. He is one of the Black intellectuals who left a significant legacy in his field.
On the Museu Bispo do Rosário YouTube channel, in addition to seminars, debates, and other materials, the documentary “The Prisoner of the Passage” by Hugo Denizart is available. The short film stars Bispo do Rosário and exposes the neglect faced by those who were subjected to years of psychiatric internment. Available at this link.
The book “Brazilian Holocaust: Genocide: 60,000 Dead in Brazil's Largest Asylum” is an investigative work by journalist Daniela Arbex, featuring interviews with former employees and survivors of the Barbacena Psychiatric Hospital Center. It reveals how socially marginalized people were mistreated and killed in this institution with the consent of the State and society.
The Prisoner of the Passage
On the Museu Bispo do Rosário YouTube channel, in addition to seminars, debates, and other materials, the documentary “The Prisoner of the Passage” by Hugo Denizart is available. The short film stars Bispo do Rosário and exposes the neglect faced by those who were subjected to years of psychiatric internment. Available at this link.
Brazilian Holocaust
The book “Brazilian Holocaust: Genocide: 60,000 Dead in Brazil's Largest Asylum” is an investigative work by journalist Daniela Arbex, featuring interviews with former employees and survivors of the Barbacena Psychiatric Hospital Center. It reveals how socially marginalized people were mistreated and killed in this institution with the consent of the State and society.
Rolé Visit
On the Rolé Carioca YouTube channel, you can watch the video “Rolé Visits Colônia Juliano Moreira.” In it, we talk with Claudia Revoredo, the Communications Coordinator of the Museum, to learn more about the history of the space dedicated to the artist Arthur Bispo do Rosário. Available at this link.
