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@livinginthemiddleofthenoise-blog
Listen Up! Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Michael Cathcart about Viver no Meio do Barulho and my thoughts on the current situation in Brazil in Radio National’s Books and Arts Daily. You can listen to it on their website at Recapturing Rio, the link to listen is to the full program, I am on at the 28 minute mark.
Opening Tonight!! Viver No Meio do Barulho / Living in the Middle of the Noise, part of the Head on Photo Festival at Gaffa, 281 Clarence Street, Sydney. Tonight’s opening 6-8pm and the exhibition on until 8th June. @headonphotofestival #headon #vivernomeiodobarulho #livinginthemiddleofthenoise #documentary #photography #exhibition #flipagram #love
With 7 Days to go until the exhibition opens, I’m pretty honoured to see that Alison Stieven-Taylor has published her round up of the Head On Photo Festival on the L’Oeil de la Photographie online magazine and Living in the Middle of the Noise / Viver No Meio do Barulho gets a nice feature!
Check it out Sydney: Head On 2014 - Nicola Dracoulis
April 28, 2014 - http://flipagram.com/f/a9UtslMYPG
April 29, 2014 - http://flipagram.com/f/H0YT9AN6d9
VIVER NO MEIO DO BARULHO/LIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NOISE
Come check out my upcoming show at Head On Photo Festival as one of their featured artists.
Viver no Meio do Barulho (Living in the Middle of the Noise) is a documentary project based in Rio de Janeiro. In 2006, Nicola Dracoulis photographed nine young people across four favelas in Rio de Janeiro. Seven years on, she has reconnected with those same people to discover what their lives are like now.
Come to gaffa creative precinct for the opening on the 29th May 6-8pm
Exhibition showing 29th May - 8th June 2014
gaffa creative precinct 281 Clarence Street, Sydney, 2000
https://headon.com.au/event/viver-no-meio-do-barulho-living-middle-noise
Lecão and Billy, Vigário Geral, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2013
In 2007, Lecão's sister had a baby, Billy. Without the family knowing, she gave him up for adoption to a couple she met at a party, he was 2 months old. When Lecão, then 19 years old, returned from home to find the baby missing and discovered what had happened, he went to the couple's house and pleaded to take Billy back. The couple obliged, and in the 6 years since, Lecão has been raising Billy as his own son. Billy calls him Pae and he is applying to become his official guardian.
Marciana de Oliveira, 2006 and 2013, 2006 and 2013
Complexo do Alemão, Rio de Janeiro
Anaderges and Jessica looking through photos from the day we walked around in 2006, Vigário Geral
Rafael in 2006 & 2013
The bottom pic is of Rafael outside his home where he lives with his wife and young son Pedro.
Street art, rubbish pile and the Teleferico (cable car) overhead in Complexo do Alemão, Rio de Janeiro 2013
This is an example of the complex nature of the ‘city improvements’ going on in Rio today… apparently rubbish collection has actually improved.
The graffiti piece is the result of a cultural intervention and social art project happening in a place previously ‘inaccessible’.
Still more people use the combi van transport that already existed than use the cable car. Demolished houses that were once family home, the residents forced to move in order to created wider roads… still remain rubble.
Improvements do exist, and are visibly present, some areas now have sewage system, but somewhere like compexo do Alemao is a massive place - structures are precarious, the UPP feels tentative and not necessarily socially integrated with the people… and apart from the reduction in gun fights, which is a massive postive change, many many things stay the same.
Life is complex.
Me, Anaderges, Jamilly, Maria and another niece who's name I don't know. Vigário Geral
Bebel no Bebel
I have tried really hard to connect with the family of Bebel, but it just didn't happen this time. It should have been easy, I know enough people close enough to the family, but as I have said - things are not straightforward in this town and you never know what's really happening - I don't know exactly why, but it is perhaps the case that Bebel's sister was not keen to meet with me due to her current circumstances.
I hope next time I visit I have more luck.
Above photo:
1. Lecão and Bebel in 2006
2. Lecão in the same spot in 2013, sans Bebel.
Complexo do Alemao - China (Pronounced Sheena)
First photo,2006, Second photo, 2013.
Back in 2006 China - or De Jack Lee had told us about the shootings.
Just the other day, Damian and and I visited him for a pastel while we waited in hope to meet with Rafael again, I was so pleased to see him still there.
He told us yes, there's less shootings now, but everything else is still the same. The presence of the UPP hasn't ended the drug factions occupation, it has only ended the police raids.
Back in 2006, he had described to us how just the day before he had pulled a bunch of young primary school kids from the street to safety inside his shop behind the roller doors while police came in their controversial Caveirão (armoured vehicle) and a big gunfight raged through the streets for a few hours. This was a common occurence back then.
C.V. stands for Commando Vermelho
The photos above are of walls in Vigario Geral in 2006. The graffiti illustrates the criminal organisation that occupied the favela back then. The C.V. are no longer resident in Viagrio.
Vigário Geral is not pacified (not occupied by police) but it is, these days, more peaceful than in 2006 since the local war that went on for 20 year with Parada de Lucas ended. It ended because Terceiro Commando (from Lucas) invaded Vigário and drove out the occupying Commando Vermelho. Now one faction occupies both territories, and so, no war, less gunfights, less fear of being in the street, less days being trapped inside your own house waiting out a street battle.
Once again - things in Rio are not so simple, obvious or straightforward. Who could imagine your life being improved simply by your neighbourhood being invaded and occupied by a different armed gang?
I am in no way suggesting it's good for your neighbourhood to be occupied by any gang let alone one gang over another, I have no desire to affiliate with any criminal organisation! But in my interviews with residents of Vigário, their simple answers are that it's quieter now because there is no war.
To understand the history of the war in Vigário Geral up to 2006 this "Drugs and Democracy in Rio" by Enrique Desmond Arias is a good resource.
Little note: C.V.R.L stands for Commando Vermelho Rogerio Lemgruber - Lemgruber was one of the founders of the precurser to Commando Vermelho in the 70's.
The exhibition is officially closing tomorrow, but if you want to come see my work after that, you can make an appointment with me via Facebook or [email protected] #livinginthemiddle #vivernomeio #riodejaneiro #barracaomaravilha
So grown!
Lecão's nephews and niece have shot up so tall since 2006! And there's also a new addition - Billy in the front, he's 6. He's also Lecao's nephew, but Lecão is raising him as his own son.
