From Censorship to Resistance: Mobilisations in Defence of Freedom of Artistic Expression in Brazil

Authors

  • Maiara Orlandini Instituto de Educação Continuada, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação Social, Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4961-2916
  • Bruna Silveira de Oliveira Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação Social, Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0163-6102
  • Marina Mesquita Camisasca Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação Social, Faculdade de Comunicação e Artes, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9175-5569
  • Fernanda Nalon Sanglard Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação Social, Faculdade de Comunicação e Artes, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4335-7926

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17231/volesp(2025).5481

Keywords:

censorship, political mobilisation, freedom of expression, arts

Abstract

This article examines online and offline responses to attempts to censor artistic productions in Brazil between 2017 and 2022. It focuses on identifying and analysing instances of artistic censorship attempts and the mobilisations they provoked. By situating these events within the broader Brazilian political context, the study highlights new repertoires of action that enable agency and creativity in resistance efforts. It also explores how these mobilisations defended freedom of expression, a fundamental principle for fostering plurality and inclusion in public debate. The research employs content analysis, following Krippendorff and Boc’s (2007) criteria, to investigate censorship mechanisms and media narratives drawing on data from journalistic websites and social media platforms. The findings reveal that opposition to censorship unfolded through four main dynamics: campaigns, street protests, alternative actions, and hashtag activism. Notably, alternative actions emerged as the most expressive form of resistance, characterised by creativity. These protests against censorship took shape through diverse artistic performances, underscoring the ongoing adaptability of artists as they challenged restrictive norms and expanded their repertoire in defence of freedom of expression.

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Author Biographies

Maiara Orlandini, Instituto de Educação Continuada, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação Social, Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Maiara Orlandini has a PhD in Communication from the Postgraduate Programme in Social Communication at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. She holds a degree in Journalism and a master’s degree in Social Communication from the Federal University of Paraná. She is currently a volunteer researcher at the Bertha Research Group (Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais) and a post-doctoral researcher at the Media and Public Sphere Research Group (Federal University of Minas Gerais). Additionally, she is a professor and coordinator of the specialisation course in Data Journalism at the Institute of Continuing Education, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais.

Bruna Silveira de Oliveira, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação Social, Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Bruna Silveira de Oliveira is a postdoctoral researcher in the Media and Public Sphere Research Group (Federal University of Minas Gerais), linked to the Postgraduate Programme in Social Communication at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. She holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in Social Communication from the Federal University of Minas Gerais and a degree in Journalism from the Federal University of Ouro Preto. She is a volunteer researcher at the Bertha Research Group (Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais), at the LiBertha centre, which focuses on the study of censorship and freedom of expression in Brazil. She has experience and research interests in political communication, especially in discussions about the public sphere, democratic misrepresentations and extremist groups.

Marina Mesquita Camisasca, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação Social, Faculdade de Comunicação e Artes, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Marina Mesquita Camisasca is a postdoctoral researcher in the Postgraduate Programme in Social Communication at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais. She holds a PhD in History and Political Cultures from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, and a master’s and undergraduate degree from the same institution. She has expertise in institutional and corporate history, with experience in writing and editing books and organising archives, memory centres, and exhibitions. She researches agrarian history, the history of republican Brazil, the history of the military dictatorship and authoritarianism. She is a member of the LiBertha group of the Bertha Research Group at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais.

Fernanda Nalon Sanglard, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação Social, Faculdade de Comunicação e Artes, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Fernanda Nalon Sanglard is a professor in the Postgraduate Programme in Communication and the Faculty of Communication and Arts at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais. She holds a PhD in Communication from the State University of Rio de Janeiro. She is a journalist and has a master’s degree in Communication from the School of Social Communication at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, with a specialisation in Marketing from the same university. She completed a post-doctorate at the Media and Public Sphere Research Group (Federal University of Minas Gerais). She worked as a reporter for the Tribuna de Minas newspaper, a member of the Juiz de Fora Municipal Truth Commission and a researcher for the Truth Commission in Minas Gerais. She is the coordinator of the centre and the LiBertha project of the Bertha Research Group (https://grupobertha.com.br), linked to the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais.

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Published

2025-04-24

How to Cite

Orlandini, M., Oliveira, B. S. de, Camisasca, M. M., & Sanglard, F. N. (2025). From Censorship to Resistance: Mobilisations in Defence of Freedom of Artistic Expression in Brazil. Comunicação E Sociedade, 65–85. https://doi.org/10.17231/volesp(2025).5481

Issue

2025: Communication and Freedom

Section

Thematic Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Maiara Orlandini, Bruna Silveira de Oliveira, Marina Mesquita Camisasca, Fernanda Nalon Sanglard

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors own the copyright, providing the journal with the right of first publication. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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