Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Give paper a second chance.
It is because of campaigns like that I believe working in Advertising sometimes can be very fulfilling. Use both sides, by JWT London.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Bad news for Brazilian Art Biennial
The Arts Newspaper article on the 19th of november:
Latin America’s big biennial at risk
This year’s São Paulo Bienal shows almost no art: is this a conceptual choice or just lack of funding?
SÃO PAULO. Since it was founded in 1951, the São Paulo Bienal has been the most important international art exhibition in Latin America. But after years of corruption scandals and chronic lack of funds, the continued existence of the biennial is under threat.
The result is that the 28th edition (26 October-6 December), is less an art exhibition than a colloquy on the biennial and its future. The programme consists mainly of lectures, discussions and performances that examine the history and potential of biennial exhibitions. The intention is to lay the groundwork for life-saving reforms of the failing institution, but with only a handful of works of art on display the biennial appears to be on its deathbed.
“There is a huge question mark in the air,” says São Paulo dealer Daniel Roessler, noting that “visitor numbers from abroad have dropped substantially”. Twenty museum groups visited his gallery during the last biennial, but this year he expects only two or three. He contrasts the São Paulo Bienal with the Mercosur Biennial, founded in 1997 in Porto Alegre. “The local business community in the south of Brazil is very supportive of their local biennial,” he says, noting that Mercosur is more professionally run and is growing. “One is going up and the other is in a big crisis.”
Read whole article here.
Latin America’s big biennial at risk
This year’s São Paulo Bienal shows almost no art: is this a conceptual choice or just lack of funding?
SÃO PAULO. Since it was founded in 1951, the São Paulo Bienal has been the most important international art exhibition in Latin America. But after years of corruption scandals and chronic lack of funds, the continued existence of the biennial is under threat.
The result is that the 28th edition (26 October-6 December), is less an art exhibition than a colloquy on the biennial and its future. The programme consists mainly of lectures, discussions and performances that examine the history and potential of biennial exhibitions. The intention is to lay the groundwork for life-saving reforms of the failing institution, but with only a handful of works of art on display the biennial appears to be on its deathbed.
“There is a huge question mark in the air,” says São Paulo dealer Daniel Roessler, noting that “visitor numbers from abroad have dropped substantially”. Twenty museum groups visited his gallery during the last biennial, but this year he expects only two or three. He contrasts the São Paulo Bienal with the Mercosur Biennial, founded in 1997 in Porto Alegre. “The local business community in the south of Brazil is very supportive of their local biennial,” he says, noting that Mercosur is more professionally run and is growing. “One is going up and the other is in a big crisis.”
Read whole article here.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Conflict in Congo
Sarah, my job partner, send me this link today. Quite impressive. Thanks girl.
"Conflict in Congo, refugees on the move
In the eastern mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), a rebel army led by Laurent Nkunda - a former General of the DR Congo armed forces - recently launched attacks and captured territory after a peace treaty had failed with the government. Nkunda's forces are Tutsi rebels, fighting against the DR Congo government forces and U.N. peacekeeeping forces. The U.N. has over 17,000 troops in the Congo right now, but they are widely dispersed, and have been unable to fully protect civilians or even defend their own bases. Nkunda's rebels forced government soldiers to retreat from intense battles up to the edges of the provincial capital of Goma. The biggest losers in this conflict are the hundreds of thousands of civilians caught in the middle - forced to relocate repeatedly, many victims of looting, rape and murder by both advancing rebels and some government soldiers - looking to thinly-spread U.N. forces for help. The humanitarian crisis and threat of further regional destabilization, has made this conflict a top U.N. priority recently."
"Conflict in Congo, refugees on the move
In the eastern mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), a rebel army led by Laurent Nkunda - a former General of the DR Congo armed forces - recently launched attacks and captured territory after a peace treaty had failed with the government. Nkunda's forces are Tutsi rebels, fighting against the DR Congo government forces and U.N. peacekeeeping forces. The U.N. has over 17,000 troops in the Congo right now, but they are widely dispersed, and have been unable to fully protect civilians or even defend their own bases. Nkunda's rebels forced government soldiers to retreat from intense battles up to the edges of the provincial capital of Goma. The biggest losers in this conflict are the hundreds of thousands of civilians caught in the middle - forced to relocate repeatedly, many victims of looting, rape and murder by both advancing rebels and some government soldiers - looking to thinly-spread U.N. forces for help. The humanitarian crisis and threat of further regional destabilization, has made this conflict a top U.N. priority recently."
Monday, November 3, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
This is War! at Barbican ArtGallery
To be honest, I was expecting more from this exhibition. Not more pictures. It fails for the excess of rooms. I reckon most of Robert Capa and Gerda images was too photojournalistic, nothing but a document from what happened at Spanish Civil War, Leipzing and D-day. It lacks some kind of Lee Miller's emotion. Paul Chan videos were tremendously boring. Omar's Fast shoot was the only extreme memory I'm going to carry over.
"Robert Capa (1913–1954) is one of the leading photographers of the twentieth century and defined how modern warfare was photographed.
This exhibition, which includes over 150 images, some never-before-seen photographs and newly discovered documents, illuminates Capa’s working process and features many of the photographs that have become iconic images of war."
My favorites from Robert Capa:
"Robert Capa (1913–1954) is one of the leading photographers of the twentieth century and defined how modern warfare was photographed.
This exhibition, which includes over 150 images, some never-before-seen photographs and newly discovered documents, illuminates Capa’s working process and features many of the photographs that have become iconic images of war."
My favorites from Robert Capa:
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Bollywood Diary
Dear friend Nataly Cabanas Galeazzo is member of a Brazilian film crew which is shooting in India at the moment. She has been posting wonderful pictures of the country on her Facebook Profile and I'm happy to spread her point-of-view all over :)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Undeclared War
Bosnian writer Zlata Filipovic was one of the main guests of the 20th International Book Biennial, taken place in Sao Paulo this month. She became recognized after launching “Zlata Diary”, which I’ve mentioned about it before here. Throughout 1991 to 1993, she reported her dreadful daily life under the Siege of Sarajevo. From the description of the first bombshell to the period of starvation, it is painful to observe the aspirations of an innocent child colliding with unreasonable military choices. It scares me just to think of myself discontinuing third grade in order to run away from snipers, being imprisoned 24/7 in a dirty cellar, unprovided of Math classes and dance practices. I’ve got more impressed by Zlata’s narrative than Anne Frank’s; for the silly reason that she was my peer. In 1991, I was enjoying my first trip to Disney, filling up my Hello Kitty bag with a dozen of Barbie dolls. After reading the book, I felt bad and guilty for that.
Last Friday, a Brazilian TV channel broadcasted Zlata giving a moving speech regarding the tough situation of children in the country. She highlighted the importance of every civilian to be aware of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights. After her feverous discourse, it seemed that the TV presenter wasn’t touched enough as me. “Bla…bla…bla… As if anyone in Brazil will ever give a damn about Human Rights”, she said.
Holy Jesus! I’ve never seen someone pronouncing such sharpened words on TV. It is good to notice that at least we have freedom of speech. The lady has completed: “Every time I see a fire from my flat window in Rio, I’m not sure if it is wood or someone being burnt.” The other guest added: “It’s been 15 years since I started driving to the food shop situated one block from where I live. It is too dangerous to walk.” The debate was on. Do Brazilians live under an undeclared war?
It was not necessary more than 2 seconds for me to answer the question. As the debate had given a short break for commercials and I quickly changed to the news channel, I paid attention to a horrible headline: a 16 year-old thief killed an 82 year-old lady that same day. He shot the women in the head after asking her to squat and give him her purse. She couldn’t move down, as she suffered from rheumatism. So he pulled the trigger.
Then I realized that taking news as reference is going a bit further to confirm that I have ever lived at a cellar in the shape of a country. Now I’m back to my hometown, Fortaleza: a city of 2 million people situated at the Northeast of Brazil, framed with wonderful natural beaches and clogged by Italians looking for sexual adventures. My flat is placed 30 seconds from an incredible white sandy beach, covered by a blue shallow sea. And do you know why I never go there? It is too dangerous. As I’m warming up for a run at the beach sidewalk, my dad advised me: don’t take your Ipod with you; you’re going to look “kidnappable”. I’ve bought a nice camera in the UK and was longing to take lovely pictures from the fish men and boats. I haven’t. I’m going to be robbed if I do this. Why the hell our president keep saying that Brazilian economy is improving, that people’s purchase power is increasing, if we simply cannot make use of what we buy?
Another little secret: I have never driven a car without carefully lock all the doors and windows. Forty seconds on the red light it is an eternity. It is the favourite instant for the bad guys to rob you. I’ve been threatened with a knife once. A skinny boy was shouting on my years, demanding my radio. Luckily, the traffic light became green and I crazily pull the accelerator pedals and cried, thinking that if he was carrying a gun, I wasn’t been conscious at that moment.
And who will forget the August 13th of 2006? The day the PCC, the most active criminal organization in the territory, decided to set fire to hundred of buses around Sao Paulo and throw Molotov cocktails on to bank agencies and shop windows? I received an email from my Creative Director asking: “Please, everyone must go home as soon as possible. And be careful.” I drove back home watching the people frightened, struggling to commute and be safe at home. At evening, Sao Paulo was like a desert. There was not a single shop or restaurant opened. Everyone was at their sofas watching a video à là Bin Laden showing the leader of the PCC announcing he would only bring the attacks to an end if the police stop torture his partners inside the prisons.
It is just like Zlata’s war. And we don’t even have Red Cross, Humanitarian Aid and ONU interventions. An undeclared war it is tricky, cause you are never aware of when a catastrophe can happen.
I wish I had started to write diary. But to be honest, no one would ever have persistence to read a war history that it is never going to end.
Last Friday, a Brazilian TV channel broadcasted Zlata giving a moving speech regarding the tough situation of children in the country. She highlighted the importance of every civilian to be aware of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights. After her feverous discourse, it seemed that the TV presenter wasn’t touched enough as me. “Bla…bla…bla… As if anyone in Brazil will ever give a damn about Human Rights”, she said.
Holy Jesus! I’ve never seen someone pronouncing such sharpened words on TV. It is good to notice that at least we have freedom of speech. The lady has completed: “Every time I see a fire from my flat window in Rio, I’m not sure if it is wood or someone being burnt.” The other guest added: “It’s been 15 years since I started driving to the food shop situated one block from where I live. It is too dangerous to walk.” The debate was on. Do Brazilians live under an undeclared war?
It was not necessary more than 2 seconds for me to answer the question. As the debate had given a short break for commercials and I quickly changed to the news channel, I paid attention to a horrible headline: a 16 year-old thief killed an 82 year-old lady that same day. He shot the women in the head after asking her to squat and give him her purse. She couldn’t move down, as she suffered from rheumatism. So he pulled the trigger.
Then I realized that taking news as reference is going a bit further to confirm that I have ever lived at a cellar in the shape of a country. Now I’m back to my hometown, Fortaleza: a city of 2 million people situated at the Northeast of Brazil, framed with wonderful natural beaches and clogged by Italians looking for sexual adventures. My flat is placed 30 seconds from an incredible white sandy beach, covered by a blue shallow sea. And do you know why I never go there? It is too dangerous. As I’m warming up for a run at the beach sidewalk, my dad advised me: don’t take your Ipod with you; you’re going to look “kidnappable”. I’ve bought a nice camera in the UK and was longing to take lovely pictures from the fish men and boats. I haven’t. I’m going to be robbed if I do this. Why the hell our president keep saying that Brazilian economy is improving, that people’s purchase power is increasing, if we simply cannot make use of what we buy?
Another little secret: I have never driven a car without carefully lock all the doors and windows. Forty seconds on the red light it is an eternity. It is the favourite instant for the bad guys to rob you. I’ve been threatened with a knife once. A skinny boy was shouting on my years, demanding my radio. Luckily, the traffic light became green and I crazily pull the accelerator pedals and cried, thinking that if he was carrying a gun, I wasn’t been conscious at that moment.
And who will forget the August 13th of 2006? The day the PCC, the most active criminal organization in the territory, decided to set fire to hundred of buses around Sao Paulo and throw Molotov cocktails on to bank agencies and shop windows? I received an email from my Creative Director asking: “Please, everyone must go home as soon as possible. And be careful.” I drove back home watching the people frightened, struggling to commute and be safe at home. At evening, Sao Paulo was like a desert. There was not a single shop or restaurant opened. Everyone was at their sofas watching a video à là Bin Laden showing the leader of the PCC announcing he would only bring the attacks to an end if the police stop torture his partners inside the prisons.
It is just like Zlata’s war. And we don’t even have Red Cross, Humanitarian Aid and ONU interventions. An undeclared war it is tricky, cause you are never aware of when a catastrophe can happen.
I wish I had started to write diary. But to be honest, no one would ever have persistence to read a war history that it is never going to end.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Another ego post.
I love this picture I took somewhere in London.
It looks so old...
Nikon FM2/ Digital Media
It looks so old...
Nikon FM2/ Digital Media
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
My picture and article at ArtKnowledgeNews.com
Monday, August 11, 2008
A Georgian man cries as he holds the body of his relative after a bombardment in Gori.
If you flickered through tabloids web pages this weekend you might have seen this picture in one of the articles reporting violence in Georgia. I couldn’t find the name of the photojournalist who shot that. Reuters has its credit now. I just want to say that whoever took this picture could capture the essence of a dreadful and unreasonable conflict as no other war photographer has done lately.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Fashion Outraging
Feted Brazilian stylist Alexandre Herchcovitch put across his concerns about territorial conflicts around the globe in an outstanding fashion show at the São Paulo Fashion Week 2009/2. In a pitch dark stage setting, including five black hoisted flags demonstrating bereavement in each continent, Alexandre mixed patterns from rival ethnic groups in a same outfit and was raved and highly praised by the critics.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
After Nature - New Museum NY
"After Nature" surveys a landscape of wilderness and ruins, darkened by uncertain catastrophe. It is a story of abandonment, regression, and rapture—an epic of humanity and nature coming apart under the pressure of obscure forces and not-so-distant environmental disasters. Bringing together an international and multigenerational group of artists, filmmakers, writers, and outsiders, the exhibition depicts a universe in which humankind is being eclipsed and new ecological systems struggle to find a precarious balance."
Saturday, July 19, 2008
The Arles Photography Festival
Anyone to be found at south of France from July 8 to Sept 14 can't miss the opportunity to visit the Arles Photography Festival. The event has been receiving rave reviews and it was curated by none other than Christian Lacroix, originally from the town himself.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Elite Squad, now in UK.
Elite Squad is an out-of-date topic among newspapers and TV programs at the moment in Brazil. We can almost forget that 10 months ago, when the first bootleg copy of the movie was released to the pirate market, the production was a compulsory theme between every folk’s meetings throughout this country. Everyone got astonished due to the cruelty within BOPE (the police commando force which combats crime in Rio's slums), showed by José Padilha, film director.
Elite Squad is headline of today’s issue of The Telegraph. It seems that the gringo’s are also outraged with this dark reality that surrounds my country.
Read The Telegraph article here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)