MASP

Paula Trope explores the relationships between different social groups, the ways in which they are represented, and the symbolic and political exchanges that take place through images. The series Os meninos (1993–2016) is particularly significant: the artist first photographs homeless children, and then, hands them the camera, asking them to photograph something that captures their interest. Vitor, Wando, and Felipe, who appear in the diptych that belongs to MASP’s collection, chose a little picture for sale, with the image of a flower bouquet. Trope’s generosity contrasts with the reality of the city of Rio de Janeiro in the 1990s, marked by brutal social segregation (which persists, chronically, to this day). In 1993, the same year the work was created, the tragic episode known as the Chacina da Candelária [Candelária Massacre] occurred on the night of July 23rd. Disguised police officers shot dozens of people sleeping next to the Candelária church, in Rio de Janeiro, most of them children. Trope uses a simple pinhole camera, made only of a metal can, which requires a long exposure time of up to 5 minutes. The passage of time in turn becomes part of the work, inviting the portrayed individuals to engage longer with the construction of their images. The large scale of the photographs confers dignity and grandiosity to the children.

— Mariana Leme, 2017

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