Meia Horinha de Sol / Half Hour of Sun, Brazil, 2020.
Half Hour of Sun consists of a series of seven cyanotypes (by contact) on a human scale, all in a fetal position. Paper, chemistry, solar radiation and a body that can withstand time. A long time under the sun that blinds the tropics. Half an hour of sunshine a day is a well-known medical recommendation for depression. I decided to start this project in a fetal position and assume the inert force of this posture. The apparent passivity at first glance hides the struggle of a body that, immobilized, resists. The images carry the concrete duration of each battle: approximately 30 minutes of scorching midday summer sun in Rio de Janeiro. A silent, solitary and yet collective battle. In recent years, a collective discouragement has gripped a large part of Brazilian society, which has seen its brief democracy crumble. Religion and power mix again. A perverse mentality regains power mirroring a backward society. Many left the country (the cities) in search of refuge, freedom or alienation. The vast majority cannot escape. Or, maybe just inside themselves. Incubation. Wish on hold. Faced with the total annihilation we were subjected to in this moment of shadow, staying alive is the only thing possible.
Bienal Sur, Argentina, 2021.