Rosângela Rennó's #RioUtópico Project Maps Utopian Neighborhoods Through Collaborative Photography
The #RioUtópico initiative by Rosângela Rennó at the Instituto Moreira Salles (IMS) in Rio de Janeiro identified 50 sites with names reflecting utopian ideals. Although primarily a photographer who seldom uses her camera, Rennó engaged in this project by asking locals to capture images of their environments. The endeavor developed through workshops involving more than 50 members from Agência Redes para Juventude, culminating in five young facilitators who documented various locations. Curator Thyago Nogueira emphasizes Rennó's effort to foster community involvement. The exhibition, which took place from December 2017 to April 2018, included a 480-page catalog showcasing around 500 out of over 1,000 photographs, illustrating Rio's urban aspirations and areas like Vila Progresso while highlighting a nation of unmet dreams.
Key facts
- Rosângela Rennó created #RioUtópico for Instituto Moreira Salles in Rio de Janeiro
- The project mapped 50 locations with utopian names like Progresso and Esperança
- Rennó returned to photography for this project despite being known as a photographer who rarely photographs
- The project involved workshops with over 50 participants and hired five young facilitators
- Results were shown in an exhibition from December 2017 to April 2018 and a 480-page catalog
- The exhibition featured a large floor map of Rio with images filling walls over time
- Over 1,000 photographs were collected, with about 500 featured in the catalog
- The project continued receiving images documenting Rio's military occupation in the current year
Entities
Artists
- Rosângela Rennó
- Thyago Nogueira
- Thais Alvarenga
- Alan Lima
- Danilo Verpa
Institutions
- Instituto Moreira Salles
- Agência Redes para Juventude
Locations
- Rio de Janeiro
- Brazil
- Vila Kennedy
- Vila Aliança