By Natalia Iraci Sareri

Teaching art in the German or European school system is characterized by the Western canon of 'white' art. The Balangandãs would then (unfortunately, but finally) be an exception, which is why I would like to pay special attention to the historical background of these, among other things. In doing so, I am particularly interested in answering the following questions:

  • When were African slaves shipped to Brazil?
  • What is the tradition behind the design of these pendants?
  • How and when were they worn?

Subject-wise, this could also be discussed in history (in middle school in GPG).In the art class itself, I would like to create 'pencas de balangandas' with the students in a 6th grade middle school class for a chain (nave) of larger dimensions as well. Each student is allowed to design this individually for him/herself. It is important to note that similar to the pendants of the balangandas, there is a symbolic meaning that represents a spiritual protection for the student. Together, the individual pendants are then hung on the chain and presented in front of the classroom. My fear here, however, is to cross the line of cultural appropriation, so I think it would be very important to design an appropriate information board for the presentation. This could also be done connecting with older grade levels.