Biscoito arte (Art biscuit)

Born in 1939 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Regina Silveira responded to the hostile political climate of Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s with ephemeral, conceptual work, including videos, pamphlets, and mail art. Frequently composed of appropriated images, her “surrealist” work subverted expected meanings through paradox and enigma with the aim of destabilizing perception. More recently, her practice has expanded physically to installations that investigate architectural spaces and public works that engage urban contexts. Regardless of scale, her work consistently addresses social, political, and economic conditions through forms rooted in the graphic arts.

Biscoito Arte (Art cookie), a cookie in the form of the word art that was intended to be eaten, is one of Silveira’s best-known works.