This captivating exhibition is the result of several months work by a group of Rio [de Janeiro, Brazil] Street Children who were given cameras and encouraged to express and document their lives through photography. Inspired by the idea of recording moments, for their beauty and excitement, rather than trying to forget, the children have produced a breathtaking body of work. The pictures that followed tell a tale of a city that is at once magnificent and violent, musical, passionate and brimming with color. But the photographers also portray the city and themselves in a sensitive light – asking questions of a community that is trying hard to come to terms with its own prejudices.
It will stand as testament to what the children have produced, an achievement all the more remarkable given their personal backgrounds. We hope the exhibition will truly inform our audience as much about the harsh reality of these children’s lives as about their genuine creativity, undeterminable spirit and the real potential for social change. In collaboration with LAB. Exhibition runs until 23 June [2006].
Shooting Rio opens in London on 15 June [2006] at Canning House in Belgrave Square, London, UK.
The BBC has a preview of photos from the show at bbc.co.uk.
Via Rio photographer Rodrigo Perez