TRÊS COROAS, BRASIL – 01/05/2020: Mathias Rocha (8) and Lucia Rocha (6)(R) pose for a portrait at their home in Tres Coroas, Brazil, 01 May 2020. The portrait was taken by their father Pedro Rocha and was done in a tent on the high grass next to their house. Having kids at home during lockdown can be very difficult for parents, luckily, Pedro and his children live next to the wilderness and they can explore nature with little human contact.
Throughout history, the window as a point of view has been a recurring motif among painters, portraitists, filmmakers and visual artists in general – from Salvador Dalí’s ‘Young Woman at a Window’, to Rear Window by Hitchcock.
In the time of Covid-19, the window represents the border between the outside and inside world, the divide between freedom and confinement, leading contemporary artists to reinterpret it in the context of current events.
Inspired by all of this, Brazilian photographer Bruno Alencastro returned to the origins of photography itself – the camera obscura – for his latest project. In his 4th floor apartment in Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana neighborhood, Alencastro isolated his room of light, sealing all the windows and creating the right conditions for the camera obscura, or “dark room” in Latin.
Following the success of his early experiments, he invited other photographers around the world to partake and transform their own rooms into camera obscuras and capture life amidst this pandemic, when for many our rooms have become our whole world.
ArrayCACHOEIRINHA, BRASIL – 25/04/2020: Eveline Medeiros (25) poses for a portrait at her house in Cachoeirinha, Brazil, 25 April 2020. Eveline is a photographer and a holistic therapist, she lives with her elderly parents. Eveline and her parents belong to the high-risk group if they contract COVID-19 disease, that is why she has been on lockdown inside her house and avoiding any other contact with others.
Bruno, what has the lockdown been like for you so far in Brazil?
Brazil is a very large country and consequently, it demands special attention for each region that forms our country. However, unfortunately this has not been the case. Instead of discussing and proposing public politics to combat the virus, our president has been extremely irresponsible in ignoring the seriousness of this pandemic. Just watch the reports about our country in the international news. The consequence is alarming and proved by frightening numbers: we have become the fourth-highest nation in Covid-19 deaths and that curve only increases. It is very sad and worrying. Meanwhile, we remain in complete isolation.
MONTENEGRO, BRASIL – 08/05/2020: Ursula Jahn (26) poses for a portrait in her home in Montenegro, Brazil, 08 May 2020. Ursula is a visual artist and had all of her job appointments canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
SÃO LEOPOLDO, BRASIL – 15/04/2020: Rodrigo Blum (31) poses for a portrait at his home in Sao Leopoldo, 15 April 2020. Rodrigo is a photographer and his work was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The day that Rodrigo took the image was his birthday and he celebrated alone for the first time in his life.
FLORIANÓPOLIS, BRASIL – 11/05/2020: Sofia Wolffenbutel (13) poses for a portrait at her house in Florianopolis, Brazil, 14 May 2020. The image was taken by Sofia’s father, Ricardo Wolffenbutel that is a freelance photogapher and had his work affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tell us about your latest project. How did the idea originate?
As a photographer, I wanted to do a project during the quarantine, but no idea seemed original to me. It was in that moment of pause, in which we have been turning to the past in search of answers for when all this is over, that I had a sudden flash of thought: the camera obscura principle!
It was literally while looking at the walls of my apartment during a moment of creative leisure, that I had this idea. I did an initial test, in which I completely sealed my room from the light entrance and photographed myself next to my wife and our dog. The result was surprising. I was impressed both by the aesthetics and the power of the content of this image to talk about our present day.
ArrayNOVO HAMBURGO, BRASIL – 03/05/2020: Leonardo Savaris (L) poses for a portrait with his wife Michele and son Liam at their house in Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, 03 May 2020. The image reflects their daily routine, which consists of keeping their son distracted and entertained while living in an apartment building,
How do the photo shoots actually work? Do you direct them from afar and do you have a fixed idea of how you want the photos to look beforehand, or do the photographers involved have some input too?
Yes, because of the impossibility of carrying out the essay alone, I invited other photographers who also agreed to document life in the midst of this pandemic. I looked for different life stories: the birthday alone; the postponed marriage; the freedom to live in the countryside in the midst of nature; dance classes through video calls, etc.
Once chosen, we chatted through WhatsApp or through video calls via Zoom. I explained the technicalities and instructed them how to build the camera obscura, then I participated in directing the portraits, suggesting actions and framing. In some cases, the photographers came with ideas and suggested solutions. In others, I participated more actively.
FELIZ, BRASIL – 14/04/2020: Josue Braun (36) poses for a portrait at his home in Feliz, Brazil, 14 April 2020. Josue is a freelance photographer and musician, with the COVID-19 crisis he lost all his source of income.
PORTO ALEGRE, BRASIL – 03/05/2020: Guilherme Santos (C), his wife Gabriela Thomaz (R) and their son Joaquin pose for a portrait at their home in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 03 May 2020. Guilherme is a freelance photographer and Gabriela a Yoga teacher. They all wait for the lockdown measures to end, so they can return to their normal routines.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL – 04/05/2020: Felipe Martini (32) (R) and Rafaela di Giorgio (31) pose for a portrait at their home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 04 May 2020. The couple had to cancel their wedding and a move to Spain due to COVID19 pandemic.
Can you tell us a bit about the camera obscura principle? How does it work?
This is a principle known since the 5th century BC. It was later cited by Aristotle in Ancient Greece as a tool for astronomical observation. But it was only in the Renaissance that this principle effectively became an optical device. In other words: a box or dark room with a small aperture through which the light enters, creating on the opposite part of this opening an inverted image of the external scene.
An important reference for this project was the work of Cuban photographer Abelardo Morell (http://www.abelardomorell.net/project/camera-obscura/).
ArrayPORTO ALEGRE, BRASIL – 03/05/2020: Clarissa Pont (R) poses for a portrait with her kids, Sebastiao and Mathias inside their house in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 03 May 2020. The picture was taken by Clarissa’s husband Eduardo Seidl, who is a photographer and a university teacher.
Why do you think collaboration is so important now?
As I started posting the photos on my Instagram, many people approached me asking how we made the photos, saying that they were also interested in producing photographs based on this principle.
So I encouraged myself to launch a second stage of the project, teaching people how to build camera obscuras at home and putting out an open call to receive photographs from all over the world.
For the first time in our history – at least for my generation in our 30s – we are collectively experiencing something that affects everyone in the world in a similar way. It offers a rare and perfect opportunity to launch a collaborative project.
SÃO LEOPOLDO, BRASIL – 02/05/2020: Caroline Muller (24) poses for a portrait at her house in Sao Leopoldo, Brazil, 03 May 2020. Caroline is a photographer and dancer and it is home quarantined with her boyfriend that is a medicine student and works on the frontline of the COVID19 treatment in his city.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL – 24/04/2020: Bruno Alencastro (L) and Greyce Vargas pose for a portrait at their home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 14 April 2020. Since the end of March, they are in-home quarantine following the government guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lastly, what’s your aim with this project?
Right now, I want to receive photos from around the world and assemble a mosaic of life during the pandemic from images produced with the camera obscura.
In the future, I plan to publish this work in the form of photographic exhibitions. My dream is to exhibit it through public projections on the facades of the buildings. It would be very consistent with the proposal of the essay: to produce photos through projection and then display them in that way as well. I am very influenced by urban art and I have never developed such work. Now I have a perfect opportunity!
