OUT OF RHYTHM (2013 - ...)

The rhythm of life in big cities pulses at high speed.

Out of rhythm was born from an attempt to capture that frenetic rhythm through a series of photographs portraying the city of São Paulo, where I live. The images were taken from the tops of buildings using an analog camera, exploring image overlays created during the act of shooting—without advancing the film—using a feature built into the camera itself. Each photograph is composed of two to four exposures, creating dense compositions that reflect urban landscape chaos.

By choosing film and manually layering the images, my intention was to slow down. Analog photography demands time and attention—you can't immediately see the image, and the number of shots is limited. However, the access to the rooftops and the time allowed to stay there were restricted. Paradoxically, I ended up speeding up the process in an attempt to capture as many photos as possible within the brief window of time I was allowed to remain on each rooftop. Instead of softening the pace, the city imposed its own rhythm, completely out of sync with my desire for pause. As a result, and as a gesture of release, I hand-stitched discarded negatives onto one of the images.

Since 2017, I’ve continued developing the project. My gaze has now shifted downward, focusing on the tension between greenery and concrete on the sidewalks and streets of the city. As I seek what emerges from the ground, the analog camera has proved itself inadequate—the images appear as I walk, and I’m not always carrying it. This led me to choose a smartphone, assuming it would make the image capture easier. Yet again, the city imposed its own rhythm, out of step with my intentions, and the project moves forward in slow (or syncopated) steps.

... work in progress

Technical file: analog photography, printed with mineral pigments on cotton paper. Several dimensions, the larger with 145cm x 95cm, with margins of 2,5cm and the smallers with 45cm, with margins of 2,5cm.