African: The Dialogue of Forms So Far, So Close The long centuries in which our society was organized around slavery left us many burdens to overcome. One of them is that we are still so far removed from Africa, the continent from which one of the matrixes of our culture comes, perhaps the predominant one. The rare opportunities we have here for direct contact with African artistic production allow us to perceive so many familiar elements, so many permanencies, that we ask ourselves: why do we keep so far from what is so close to us? That is why this exhibition seems especially important to us and we are pleased to be able to hold it in the year in which the CCVM celebrates the greatness of black people in culture. We would like to thank Eduardo Couto for his willingness to show his collection to the people of Maranhão. Gathering and sharing is the noble role that a collector can play, there are still few who do. Here are works from 14 countries, produced by 62 peoples, whose art has very different characteristics and sculptural languages. It is art linked to the tradition of these peoples, which is associated with social functions that have a strong meaning for the communities and which continues to be produced. It should be noted that this is not the only art form present in the countries represented here, which have a rich and diverse culture. But it is certainly one of the most fascinating, due to its aesthetic sophistication, the diversity of sculptural solutions and the many meanings it carries, as the curator tries to show. It is not for mere fashion that this segment of African art has seduced the world for at least two centuries, its strength is impressive and continues to influence the arts in general. In the mumps' faces, ex-votos, aesthetic refinement… we can glimpse Maranhão and Brazilian culture in several works in this exhibition, it allows for many approximations and… reencounters. Paula Porta