Daniel Lannes is known for his vibrant paintings of Brazilian archetypes and historical icons, which he portrays in ambivalent and often ironic visual narratives. His works exude a sensuality seemingly in line with clichéd imaginaries of his home country, and yet, the visual language finds cause for rupture and doubt about the truthfulness of these narratives. What may seem like straightforward exoticism or a stereotypical display of Brazilian erotics unfolds as a contemplation on representation, subjectivity, and the ambivalences of history. Lannes mashes high and low culture, historical mythology, and quotidian gossip in a way that is arguably unique to Brazilian modernism. O Sonho de Getúlio 2 (Getúlio's dream 2) (2025) exemplifies this practice: beginning with a singular work depicting Getúlio Vargas, who positioned himself as head of state for eighteen years, first as a dictator and later as an elected official. Often misconceived as O Pai dos Pobres (the father of the poor), he created structural inequalities that mark the country to this day. One would imagine the ‘dream’ refers to Getúlio’s ambitions of shaping a modern and industrialized Brazil. But instead, he is depicted as dreaming of his lover, the famous Brazilian showgirl and actress Virgínia Lane. The authoritarian ruler is portrayed as submissive and lustful, at the mercy of the object of his desire. This way, the work entangles the private with the public, and interrogates the strongmen aesthetics of contemporary world leaders and warmongers. Are they perhaps just chasing a private fancy?

Commissioned by Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), co-produced by Daniel Lannes and HKW, 2025

WORK IN THE EXHIBITION: O Sonho de Getúlio 2 (Getúlio’s dream 2) (2025), oil on canvas, 220 × 160 cm. Courtesy of the artist