THe 1939 Campinas bicentennial exhibition-fair: historic construction and the acclamation of the modern city

Abstract

This paper discusses the setting up of the exhibition-fair, a civic festival that was conceived as a means of announcing the great urban refurbishing project of Campinas. 1739 or 1774? The inaccuracy in determining the city's foundation date was strategically used by the government in 1939 to organize this distinguished event that simultaneously celebrated a historical fact and introduced the city into modern life. The fair was a great event for showcasing the industrial progress and economic prosperity of the city. It was a solemn mise-en-scène. Even the choice of celebration, an exhibition-fair, symbolically highlighted the modern nature of the event. The local government used this celebration to legitimize the modernization process of the urban landscape by presenting the Urban Improvement Plan of the City of Campinas in the stand of the City Hall.

Keywords

• Exposição-Feira do Bicentenário de Campinas
• Arquitetura art déco
• Arquitetura modernista
• Plano de Melhoramentos Urbanos de Campinas