Filipe Branquinho's Showtime Series Examines Prostitution and Colonial Architecture in Maputo

Filipe Branquinho created the photographic series Showtime between 2012 and 2013 in Maputo, Mozambique. The work consists of six diptychs pairing architectural elements from the Rua de Bagamoyo area with portraits of prostitutes in hotel bedrooms. These women, all black and bare-breasted, gaze directly at the camera with expressions ranging from confrontational to amused. They wear only knickers and red nail polish, sometimes chipped. The left side of each diptych features colonial buildings like Hotel Central, now dilapidated but retaining a melancholy beauty through light and color. Branquinho photographed the women in their workplace, paying them the standard rate for their time and allowing them to choose their own poses. The architectural shots were carefully composed using cinematic techniques like window framing and doorway perspectives. The title Showtime references both the artist's conceptual framework and the term prostitutes use for the hotel rooms. By presenting the women as performers against theatrical architectural backdrops, Branquinho challenges viewers' assumptions about gender, race, and social status. The series confronts the art historical tradition of the male gaze while examining complex social dynamics in post-colonial Mozambique. Originally published in ArtReview's March 2014 issue, the work provokes questions about representation, labor, and cultural stereotypes without providing biographical details about the subjects.