“Palácios Cariados” brings together 20 photos inserted and mounted in six window doors taken from demolition sites, recreating the space of abandoned buildings in Ribeirão Preto and the surrounding area.
The photographic intervention took place from June 23 to July 7, 2017. It was held outdoors at Praça XV de Novembro, at the corner of Tibiriçá and Duque de Caxias streets, in front of the D. Pedro II theater.
These are photographic essays of old and abandoned buildings from five cities in the interior of São Paulo: São Luís do Paraitinga, Santos, Ribeirão Preto, São Manuel, and Presidente Prudente. These five cities were chosen not only for their historical importance but also because they participated in all of Brazil’s economic cycles (gold, sugarcane, coffee, cotton). These cities have unique architectural influences and have survived the actions of European colonizers of various ethnicities who left behind neoclassical architectural style buildings.
The work features 20 photographic pieces inserted and mounted in six window doors taken from demolition sites, thus recreating the space of the photographed buildings. The concept of the work invites the public to interact with the visual concept of the exhibition and to dive into the universe of history through what remains of the erosion caused by abandonment.
The project “Palácios Cariados” began in 2012 and features photos of the Palacete Camilo de Matos (1920), Solar Vila Lobos (1880), and Palacete Albino Camargo (1923) – all in Ribeirão Preto. In Presidente Prudente, it offers images of the Chaminé da Sanbra, built in the early 20th century. In Santos, it portrays the Hospedaria dos Imigrantes, from 1912. In São Manuel, it includes images of the São Manuel Railway Station, from 1918. In São Luís do Paraitinga, the house of Mr. Zé Peixe (1853), which was destroyed by the 2012 flood, is also part of the exhibition.