{"id":24567,"date":"2016-03-10T12:00:18","date_gmt":"2016-03-10T15:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=24567"},"modified":"2018-01-15T13:10:51","modified_gmt":"2018-01-15T16:10:51","slug":"imagens-do-povo-photography-collective-part-3-resistance-through-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=24567","title":{"rendered":"‘Imagens do Povo’ Photography Collective Part 3: Resistance Through Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas\"\"<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This is the final article\u00a0in a three-part series<\/a> on the\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Imagens do Povo<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0photography collective.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re living this great conflict: one story or many stories; maintaining the status quo or bringing great transformations.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you photograph someone with dignity, whether in pain or joy, you get people together. Even if it\u2019s through reflective\u00a0criticism, you connect people.\u201d <\/span>– <\/span>Jo\u00e3o Roberto Ripper<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Imagens do Povo<\/a> (Images of the People) is a photography school and collective based in Complexo da Mar\u00e9<\/a>. It was\u00a0founded by Jo\u00e3o Roberto Ripper<\/a>, a celebrated\u00a0Brazilian photo-documentarist who emphasized the principles of dignity and empathy. The first two articles in\u00a0this series presented two groups of Imagens do Povo photographers: the\u00a0\u2018<\/span>activist-reporters<\/span><\/a>\u2019\u00a0and the \u2018<\/span>archivist-documentarians<\/span><\/a>.\u2019 In this article we ask: how can their work be framed within\u00a0discussions\u00a0about the production of media about favelas,\u00a0favela aesthetics, and resistance<\/a> struggles?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Graffiti<\/a>
Street art depicting a young favelado photographer at Avenida Brasil, Complexo da Mar\u00e9. Photo by Andrea Cangialosi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Oppression and resistance in Complexo da Mar\u00e9<\/b><\/h3>\n

According to the findings of the research<\/a> <\/span>on which this series is based, in the case of the Imagens do Povo\u00a0collective, the\u00a0variation in form\u00a0of resistance–by activism and denouncing violations<\/a>, and by documentation of identities, cultures and daily life<\/a>–responds to the\u00a0variation in the forms of oppression suffered. These forms of oppression include stigmatization<\/a> in the mainstream media<\/a> and government discourse;\u00a0<\/span>crimilitarization<\/span><\/i>,\u00a0or the\u00a0criminalization<\/a> of social movements<\/a> and non-white and poor people\u00a0leading to militaristic\u00a0interventions<\/span>; the occupation of communities<\/a> and state-sponsored violence<\/a> by army and police; and threats to public spaces<\/a> for the benefit of private interests.<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagens do Povo plays a key role in fighting these oppressions by engaging in the dispute over the aesthetics, symbols and conceptions related to favelas. Photography\u00a0that deals with\u00a0identity and representation impacts Mar\u00e9 residents\u2019 understanding of themselves, as well as\u00a0their relationship to favelas and the city at large. The fact that\u00a0favela residents themselves are taking\u00a0control of the means and meanings of production and reproduction of images and imaginaries is revolutionary, albeit not new.<\/span><\/p>\n

Associate editor of artnet\u00a0Magazine<\/em> Ben Davis<\/span> summarizes<\/span><\/a> French philosopher Jacques Ranci\u00e8re<\/a> when he writes that \u201cpolitics is the struggle of an unrecognized party for equal recognition in the established order.\u201d Against the \u201cestablished order\u201d of dominant media portrayals of favelas<\/a>, Imagens do Povo photographers show a different, less recognized perspective, which by Davis\u2019 definition makes their art inherently a political struggle. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"<\/a>
Graffiti wordplay on ‘love’ (amar) and ‘Mar\u00e9’. Photo by Andrea Cangialosi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Balancing two aesthetics of politics<\/b><\/h3>\n

The \u2018activist-reporter<\/a>\u2019 and \u2018archivist-documentarian<\/a>\u2019 approaches do not fit into opposing categories of politically engaged art on the one hand and autonomous, politically detached art on the other. Instead, <\/span>these two approaches find a balance between Ranci\u00e8re\u2019s co-existing ideas<\/a> of art influenced by life (and thus also by politics) and art that resists interference, or art for art\u2019s sake<\/a>. Each form expresses and harvests both political and artistic potential. <\/span><\/p>\n

Imagens do Povo photographers show how this tense balance and coexistence negotiates between art and politics, finding, as art historian Sophie Berrebi writes<\/a>,\u00a0\u201ca form that can exist in-between the two opposite aesthetics.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the case of the activist-reporter approach, the work of the artists merges, in Berrebi’s words, \u201cwith other forms of activity and being.\u201d Luiz Baltar’s photo, ‘March Against the Genocide of Black People in Mar\u00e9,’ is a clear example of photography immersed in political events\u00a0and struggles:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"March<\/a>
March Against the Genocide of Black People in Mar\u00e9. Photo by Luiz Baltar, September 6, 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the case of the archivist documentarian approach, \u201cthe political potential of the aesthetic experience derives from the separation of art from other forms of activity.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>There is passive resistance in the artist taking a step back from the issues of political life and delving into the realm of aesthetics, or beauty. Rat\u00e3o Diniz\u2019s photography demonstrates this focus on artistic concerns and personal photographic interests. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Member<\/a>
Member of the traveling Carro\u00e7a de Mamulengos troupe of actors, musicians, story-tellers and clowns. Photo by Rat\u00e3o Diniz, December 4, 2010.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Empathy over shock<\/b><\/h3>\n

Ben Davis writes<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>that aesthetics\u2013the set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, taste and art\u2013is the fight \u201cover the image of society\u2014what it is permissible to say or to show.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brazilian media scholar Beatriz Jaguaribe<\/span>\u00a0argues that<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Brazilian aesthetics are often characterized by what she calls \u2018choque do real<\/i>\u2019 (the shock of the real). Reality, as represented in the mainstream Brazilian media, is portrayed through shocking events and narratives, which are portrayed as ordinary. <\/span><\/p>\n

In contrast, Imagens do Povo’s \u2018empathetic\u2019 photography has a different focus. It recalls Ranci\u00e8re\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0idea of <\/span>relational aesthetics<\/a><\/span>, in which \u201cart is there to bring social links between people,\u201d especially those marginalized\u00a0by society. Monara Barreto’s depiction of a graffiti artist from a S\u00e3o Paulo<\/a> favela working in Mar\u00e9 accomplishes this goal quite literally. It highlights the art and exchange of culture taking place in favelas, without\u00a0reference\u00a0to ‘shocking’ events like violence and poverty.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Graffiti<\/a>
Graffiti artist Bruno Smoky from the Brasil\u00e2ndia favela in S\u00e3o Paulo contributes to artwork in Mar\u00e9\u2019s newest favela. Photo by Monara Barreto, March 14, 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By using empathy over shock, Imagens do Povo\u2019s photography contrasts with the dirty, violent and hopeless realities portrayed by mainstream media.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jaguaribe <\/span>argues that mainstream \u2018shocking\u2019 narratives are based on simplified assumptions and biases. Art theoretician Joseph Nechvetal highlights\u00a0Ranci\u00e9re’s argument<\/a> that<\/span>\u00a0counter-narratives like those shown by Imagens do Povo are increasingly important today \u201cto counter the effects of our age of simplification,\u201d which result \u201cfrom the glut of consumer-oriented entertainment messages and political propaganda which the mass media feeds us daily in the interests of corporate profit and governmental psychological manipulations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Balancing acts, \u2018<\/b>atos de exist\u00eancia<\/i><\/b>\u2019 and \u2018<\/b>vida pulsante<\/i><\/b>\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n

In the midst of significant transformations in Rio, such as the Pacifying Police Unit (UPP)<\/a> program, World Cup<\/a>, and the upcoming Olympics<\/a>, Imagens do Povo photographers show that there\u2019s no bigger mega-event than life itself. This approach aligns with Ranci\u00e8re\u2019s politics of aesthetics<\/a>,\u00a0which\u00a0<\/span>demands \u201chonor [be] conferred on the commonplace [by\u00a0showing] symptoms of an epoch, a society, or a civilization in the minute details of ordinary life.\u201d Photographer Francisco Valdean consistently looks for and captures the beauty in common scenes in favelas, as in this photo of children playing in Mar\u00e9:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Youth<\/a>
Youth in Timbau, Mar\u00e9. Photo by Francisco Valdean.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Imagens do Povo is dedicated to the process of honoring and revealing that Ranci\u00e8re outlines. Showing\u00a0beauty, happiness and goodwill regardless of social or geographical adversities <\/span>is the key to countering stigmatization<\/a>. Thus, every Imagens do Povo photograph that contests the dominant portrayal and captures daily life is resisting oppression, while also\u00a0strengthening identities and social ties.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the words of former Imagens do Povo photographer Rat\u00e3o Diniz<\/a>, their work is “denouncing\u00a0[oppression] through\u00a0beauty, the beauty of favelas!” Indeed, the goal is to honor and preserve the pulsating life of favelas: such actions could ultimately be called at once <\/span>acts of existence and <\/span>acts of resistance. <\/span><\/p>\n

The sentiment of balance and affirmation\u00a0of beauty behind Imagens do Povo’s photography is reflected in Shane Koyczan\u2019s spoken word poem, \u201cTo this day<\/a>\u201d:\u201cOur lives will only ever always \/ continue to be \/ a balancing act \/ that has less to do with pain \/ and more to do with beauty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Andrea Cangialosi holds\u00a0an International Masters in Sociology from the universities of Freiburg, Buenos Aires and Bangkok. This series is based on his research as a\u00a0<\/span><\/i>reporter for RioOnWatch<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0and fieldwork for his thesis\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Vida Pulsante: Rio\u2019s Mega-Events Footprints, Oppressions and Resistances in Mar\u00e9 Favelas as Pictured by Imagens do Povo Photographers<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas This is the final article\u00a0in a three-part series on the\u00a0Imagens do Povo\u00a0photography collective.\u00a0 \u201cI think we\u2019re living this great conflict: one story or many stories; maintaining the status quo or bringing […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":26649,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1294,1290,1268,1271,1282,1329],"tags":[1361,396,1653,756,258,280,25,1650,1366,37,15,572,270,2634,1953,453],"writer":[1398],"translator":[],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-24567","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-communitymedia","8":"category-civilsociety","9":"category-favelaculture","10":"category-favelaqualities","11":"category-research-analysis","12":"category-by-international-observers","13":"tag-endfavelastigma","14":"tag-art","15":"tag-community-media","16":"tag-community-organizing","17":"tag-community-solution","18":"tag-complexo-da-mare","19":"tag-human-rights","20":"tag-imagens-do-povo","21":"tag-analyzing-media-portrayal-of-favelas","22":"tag-north-zone","23":"tag-pacifying-police-unit","24":"tag-photography","25":"tag-resistance","26":"tag-series","27":"tag-series-imagens-do-povo","28":"tag-stigma","29":"writer-andrea-cangialosi"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24567"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24567\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24567"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=24567"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=24567"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=24567"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=24567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}