Inside Out São Paulo: shared + humanity
Inside Out São Paulo: humanidade + compartilhada (Inside Out São Paulo: shared + humanity). Design: John Drake In 2011, French artist JR received the TED Prize and made a wish: “I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project, and together we’ll turn the world… inside out.” For making this possible, JR has launched the Inside Out Project, with the participation of groups and individuals from all over the world, in collaborative projects that bring awareness to stories of personal identity, transforming them into works of art. Dharma/Arte has been invited to be one of the groups hosting initiatives for the Inside Out Project. This has allowed us to gather an incredible and heterogeneous group of collaborators: professional and amateur photographers, video producers, cultural and political activists — in São Paulo and also in Colorado Springs, in US. What unites these groups? What makes of them two Inside Out groups? First of all, there’s certainly our admiration for the work of JR and how it’s being able to bring global awareness to the stories of groups and individuals — a visibility based not on a cause, not on something “external”, but on offering the conditions for these groups and individuals to make visible the richness of their own stories, inside and outside their communities. This vision has many affinities with the vision of Dharma/Arte, based on the appreciation of the wisdom and creativity inherent to all human beings. In a time marked by sharp events and strong reactions, in a time of soaring polarization between different visions, we also witness the reinforcement of the idea that something is lacking, of strategies of victimization — at best we recognize and fight for what lacks in ourselves and in others. Our value, and the value of communities, is framed by the negative bias of necessity and lack. Making visible different potentials, wisdoms, and richnesses seems to be essential to nourish a bigger dream — based not on what we supposedly don’t have, but on the appreciation of the wisdom and the creative potential that we all have and share. A notion of justice based not only on the idea of provisioning what we don’t have, but also on the respect for and appreciation of what we already have. This is our shared humanity, which gives name to the group and has different meanings: What do we share as human beings? We’re not asking, like a popular Brazilian song, what you’re hungry for — we’re willing to collaborate in a process for each one to recognize, appreciate and be appreciated for the hunger we’re already able to satisfy. We believe in the potentials of this shift of focus to make visible what we all share, mainly the wisdom, potentials, and strength that more often than not are not appreciated. In the next days and weeks, the São Paulo group will be visiting Favela do Moinho (Mill Slum), the community in downtown we’ll be working with in the Inside Out Project. There will be interviews, workshops, photo sessions and then pasting the photos inside and outside the community. And we invite you to participate in this process: making your suggestions, being a volunteer, helping us to make possible the project. We currently have collaborators from all over the world — our logo, for example, was generously offered by John Drake, a graphic designer and photographer from Ohio. For learning more about the project and how to participate, please email us.
Trailer of the Inside Out Project Last week we had a meeting with the community from “Favela do Moinho” (Mill Slum), in São Paulo, where we’ll develop our actions for the Inside Out Project, Inside Out São Paulo: shared + humanity. We presented the project and had a discussion with the community, visited some houses — and we’re happy as the community was very open to the project and also very welcoming. Until then we had been working on the planning of the project and on its concept: our shared humanity, seen from the perspective of what we share as human beings and of what each of us is willing to share as a human being. As part of the Inside Out Project’s scope, we’ll be working to make visible the stories of people from Moinho, so that they’re recognized not only by what they don’t have, but by what they have and are willing to offer; not because they’re different, but by what they have in common with all of us; not as the “Mill Slum”, but as a community and as human beings. Of course we’re not trying to mask the many challenges they face in the slum: social, political, and economic ones — however, we think that the Inside Out Project, giving visibility to people’s stories and, through these stories, to (every)one’s inherent wisdom and creative potential, has an important contribution to offer in a context usually characterized by conflict and by the reinforcement of the victimhood of those we present as victims. We’re starting in March a series of interviews with people from Favela do Moinho. In April we plan to offer a photography workshop to the community, so that they’re able to participate in the photo sessions of the Inside Out São Paulo: shared + humanity (planned for May) not only as subjects, but also as photographers. Eventually we’ll paste the photos with the community inside the Moinho and also in the neighborhood. What’s our shared humanity? We invite you to participate and offer what you have to share. For learning more, email us at redes@dharma.art.br. Last Friday, March 23, we visited the community we’ll be working with at the Mill Slum, to explore the spaces of the slum, its neighborhood and a more expanded area in São Paulo downtown where we plan to paste the photos. Soon we’ll share some photos of this visit. And we’re looking for collaborators and volunteers for some specific areas of the project. There are currently around 15 people working on the project, mainly photographers, videographers, executive producers, and social activists — and we’re willing to strengthen our team. Are you inspired by this action? Are willing to explore the potentials of “our shared humanity” using photography? Are you interested in working with communities? Are you inspired by JR’s work and his Inside Out Project? Are you a graphic designer? (We also need lawyers and production coordinators, but these professionals need to be in Brazil.) Do you have some experience and/or would like to get involved? You’re welcome! For more information, please contact us at redes@dharma.art.br. For more updates, visit: http://iop-sp.dharma.art.br.
INSIDE OUT SÃO PAULO: HUMANIDADE + COMPARTILHADA
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