The manifesto written by members of the Nervo Óptico group is critical of matters such as submitting artistic work to commercial pressure. The text, which was signed in Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul), warns that the “market’s demands oblige artists to supply handcrafts in ways that often result in Mannerism, repetitive production routines and the inevitable loss of content.” The text also criticizes the habit of labeling art as “national art” because this creates confusion between “legitimate cultural expressions and those that are of a commercial or promotional nature.” In short, the manifesto calls for a new way of looking at the circumstances, creative possibilities, and specific role of the artist.  

This manifesto was presented and distributed during the Atividades Continuadas exhibition at the Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul (MARGS), Porto Alegre (December 9 and 10, 1976). It was discussed in the local press (see Pontual, Roberto, “Imagens da Imagem,” Jornal do Brasil, November 20, 1975), and eventually had an impact on the art produced in the southern region of the country. The manifesto was one of a number of group efforts organized by Nervo Óptico.

As a result of informal and creative meetings to consider aspects of the avant-garde that could be applied locally, a number of young artists—Ana Alegria, Carlos Pasquetti, Clovis Dariano, Elton Manganelli, and others—decided to form a group. The Nervo Óptico group was one of the main proponents of experimental projects in the state. In 1977 the group began to publish a monthly “cartazete” [small poster] called Nervo Óptico. A total of 13 issues were published [see doc. no. 1110913, 1110914, 1110915, 1110916, 1110917, 1110918, 1110919, 1110920, 1110921, 1110922, 1110923, 1110924, and 1110925]. The art critic Frederico Morais (b. 1936) took the name of the magazine and applied it to the group as a whole in his article published in O Globo in Rio de Janeiro. The group’s activities, and those of the Espaço N. O. had an impact beyond their local area through photographic exhibitions and the use of alternative media and materials to express a critical, incisive point of view. The group disbanded in 1978.

In regard to this text, see “Exposição Manifesto” [doc. no. 1111013].

In reference to this matter, see by Ana Maria Albani de Carvalho (org.), Espaço N. O. — Nervo Óptico (Rio de Janeiro: FUNARTE/Coleção Fala do Artista, 2004).