Rio Metro Station Displays Photo Exhibit on Domestic Violence

By Beatriz Miranda, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After stirring emotions among passengers in Carioca Metro Station, in Centro, photo exhibition “Nunca Me Calarei” (I Will Never Keep Quiet), arrived in Leblon’s Jardim de Allah station last Friday (April 28th) to call attention to the domestic violence in Rio de Janeiro.

Conceived by Carioca photographer Márcio Freitas, the project exposes the faces of people, including women and men from diverse ages and social contexts, who have been victims of domestic violence, both physical and psychological. Besides the two-meter-high photo panels, there is another one with 48 smaller portraits.

Using art therapy and music to get closer to the project participants, Freitas said it took a week to produce the photos. While some people spent twenty minutes in this process, others needed five hours in the studio.

Amidst the diverse subjects photographed by Freitas, all participants were portrayed with a red hand-shaped mark over their mouths. “They painted their own faces with the trace of their hands, which were stained with red lipstick, creating the effect of someone who hushed up pain and now wants to take it to the public,” explains the photographer.

So far, the exhibition has even been encouraging other victims to publicly speak about their experiences. According to Freitas, “some viewers looked for me and said they also want to participate.”

Adding, “We finally started to realize what these victims are living. […] the photo is just a part of it. The project itself is the art therapy and these people’s own experiences”.

Jardim de Allah Station is part of the MetrôRio Line 4 extention recently opened ahead of the 2016 Olympics. The station hours are Monday to Saturday – 5AM to 12PM and Sunday and Holidays – 7AM to 11PM.