This article discusses the impact, in both the field of the arts and in the history of Brazilian modern art, caused by three different manifestoes, published over the course of the twentieth century, namely: Manifesto Antropófago, 1928; Manifesto Ruptura, launched in 1952, at the first "paulista" concretist group exhibition; and Mamãe Belas-Artes, a text originally published in 1977. Their authors did not hesitate to declare their intention to break away from the past and from the artistic paradigms of the time. We will reflect upon the limits and reaches of our modern project, and on the specific characteristics of implementing a "space of contemporaneity" amongst us.Este artigo tem por objetivo discutir o impacto causado no campo da arte ...