Cecilia Erismann

Biography

Poet, artist, entrepreneur, social scientist, philosopher

Cecilia Erismann (Cecilia Barros Erismann) is a multidisciplinary thinker and artist, born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Catholic University of Sao Paulo (2011) and from the ‘Germinar Program’ (focus: social entrepreneurship, social responsibility and sustainability) (2011). She obtained her interdisciplinary master’s degree in Philosophy, Art, and Critical Thought at the European Graduate School (2015). Since her childhood, Cecilia has dedicated much of her attention to poetry, art and interdisciplinary projects and events, taking part in several across world.

For ten years (2000 – 2010) she attended and practiced sculpture and painting at ‘Cecilia Tilkian’ atelier in São Paulo, Brazil. She has worked as: assistant professor, Department of Politics, Catholic University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (2009), facilitator of the  “Ateliê of sculpture: Art as a field of social experiences” (2010), “Senior research project” – presented to the Social Sciences Department with honors (Title: “The Ecovillages – a social discussion about the living in community” (2011), and art educator of handicaps at ‘Placement Institute La Branche’ in Lausanne, Switzerland (2012 – 2013).

In 2014, she and her sister founded ‘Alecrim,’ a handmade necklace brand (each collection consisting of an unique necklace and poem from different poets, one of which was her own). In 2011 she co-founded the cultural center ‘Comboio’, were she worked facilitating artistic activities for children and families living in difficult conditions in Sao Paulo’s city center. She has participated in many cultural and art events such as ‘Maumau Writers and Artists in Residency’ (Istanbul, 2015), ‘We Love Us’ at ‘Lite-Haus Gallery’ (Berlin, 2015), ‘Kunst.Raum Steglitz’ 3-day poetic-action on freedom in a deactivated female prison (Berlin, 2016), a poetry performance at ‘Virada Cultural,’ São Paulo’s largest annual cultural event (São Paulo, 2014), participating writer at the ‘Literatur für das was passiert’ events, proceeds donated to helping Refugee’s situation (2015 – 2016). She has also organized and participated in events such as ‘Poetry and Musical Improvisation’ with the Syrian artist and musician Zolfaqar Shaarani at Arthere (Istanbul, 2015), ‘On preferring to’ (poetry-music-video performance) at the Manifesta Biennale (Zurich, 2016), the interactive ‘Love letter’s project’ (Berlin, since 2014), ‘free whishes project’ (São Paulo and Zurich, 2015) and was a member of the cultural center ‘Haus aus der Interdisziplinarität’ in Zurich (2015 – 2016).

In 2014 she published her first book of poetry, Poesia em Flor menor, with the Brazilian Publisher house, Patuá. Her last book, ‘‘A dialogue between poetry and philosophy: An encounter of the writer with his reader, was published by the German –American publisher house ‘Atropos Press’ (2016) – launch and video performance in collaboration with the Mexican artist ‘Pablo de La Pena (Zurich, 2016). In 2014, she won sixth place in the Brazilian national contest for new poets, ‘Poetize.’ She also participated in the Internation Poetry festival in Romenia Curtea de Argeș (2017).

After several projects, Cecília remains intent on carrying her poetry beyond the paper form, frequently using other mediums, ways of narratives, collaborations and an openness towards the interchange between her words and others – by placing them between the two, by addressing them always to ‘you’.