Cais do Corpo | 2015

The piece raises questions about prostitution and gentrification on Praça Mauá square, in Rio de Janeiro’s port area Zona Portuária. Set in Rio’s Zona Portuária, Praça Mauá is a place charged with deeply symbolical contente which permeates everyday operations and reprograms their logic. In the 19th century, it was a major exportimport hub, in the 20th century it was frequented by the elite, in the ocean liner era, when the Touring Club terminal was built in Brazil. In the late 30s, it became the center of attention as the 22-story-building Edifício A Noite was erected, very tall by the standards of then, and a landmark of Brazilian civil construction. However, since the arrival of Portuguese royals in Brazil in the early 19th century, the management of a new space proliferated in the bosom of technocratic structure, a space based on a body-based economy that doesn’t respond to any outside purposes other than its own gratification: sex. Gradually, Praça Mauá evolved into a nightlife area. Bars opened, and following the Port’s incorporation in 1934, more people came and went and the clientele at bars and nightclubs grew and grew. Praça Mauá became a traditional red-light district – with sailors, tourists, smugglers, prostitutes setting the mood. In the 60s, prostitution had its heyday, fueled by the Strong influx of sailors and tourists alighting the ships. Many ups and downs ensued: prostitution had its glory, glamour and decadence. The scenery is now changing again. Only one club has survived the Porto Maravilha overhaul project: Boate Flórida. The artist frequented Boate Flórida for a month. That experience bred this piece. To see the vídeo Cais do Corpo, click here.