Miami mural of Rio police abuse painted over after officers complain

Work by Panmela Castro of woman held in headlock was removed after managers at events space told her police complained

Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro
Thu 5 Dec 2019 16.45 GMT
Last modified on Thu 5 Dec 2019 18.55 GMT

A mural depicting police abuse in a Rio de Janeiro favela has been removed from the walls of a Miami events space after local police reportedly complained.

The work, by the Brazilian artist Panmela Castro, showed a black woman being held in a headlock, with the caption: “Woman who filmed abused (sic) by police officers is beaten and arrested.”

It was painted on in the parking lot of the Aria 21 venue on Monday as part of a week-long exhibition for Miami Art Week – but was painted over the following day after managers at the space told Castro police had complained.

“I did not imagine this would happen at one of the biggest art fairs in the US. I cried with revulsion,” said Castro, whose works have been exhibited internationally.

The mural was based on the experience of a student of Castro’s, who was handcuffed and arrested after filming police officers questioning a man in Rio de Janeiro’s Rocinha favela, days after police killed eight people in the neighbourhood.

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