João Pina's Photographic Mission: Documenting Political Memory Across Portugal and Latin America
At 38 years old, Portuguese photographer João Pina has spent two decades committed to documenting historical accounts. His focus lies on themes such as political repression, military regimes, and systemic violence across Portugal and Latin America. His inaugural project, 'Por Teu Livre Pensamento,' highlighted the experiences of those who faced political persecution in Portugal. Over nine years, he worked on the 'Condor' project, which investigated Operation Condor. Additional works include studies on the FARC in Colombia, the 46,750 homicides in Rio de Janeiro from 2007 to 2016, the Tarrafal concentration camp in Cape Verde, and Portugal's history of slavery. Pina criticizes the historical amnesia in Brazil and Portugal, linking the election of President Jair Bolsonaro and police brutality in Rio to unresolved histories. He utilizes thorough research and visual narratives, dismissing conventional market categorizations.
Key facts
- João Pina is a 38-year-old Portuguese photographer with a 20-year career focused on historical memory.
- His project 'Condor' took nine years and investigated Operation Condor across six South American dictatorships.
- He is currently working on the Tarrafal concentration camp in Cape Verde and Portugal's slave-owning heritage.
- Pina links Brazil's election of Jair Bolsonaro and police violence in Rio de Janeiro to the country's unaddressed dictatorial past.
- He criticizes the lack of historical discussion in Brazil's Armed Forces and the limited action during the PT's 12 years in power.
- Pina's methodology is based on investigation, interviewing primary sources, and visual storytelling.
- He has moved from photojournalism to exhibiting in museums and galleries, publishing three books.
- Pina believes visual art can contribute to justice and reparation but does not directly heal or provide justice.
Entities
Artists
- João Pina
- Jair Bolsonaro
- Dilma Rousseff
Institutions
- Forças Armadas
- Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT)
- Comissão Nacional da Verdade
Locations
- Portugal
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
- Cuba
- Colombia
- Rio de Janeiro
- Cabo Verde
- Salvador
- Recife
- Olinda
- São Paulo
- Zona Leste
- Araguaia
- Latin America
- Cape Verde