A series of portraits

A series of portraits was taken by Leandro Viana in a studio improvised on the first floor of Occupation São João (a.k.a. Centro Cultural São João) in the Center. Leandro’s photographs portray community members (of the 67 families) who overtook the derelict former Hotel Columbia Palace to live close to their jobs in the convenience of downtown. The people we see in Leandro’s portraits made this space anew. They are maids, security officers, kindergarten teachers, street workers, and students. As much as they can, they repair it, build new additions, and take care of it. The same happens in housing occupations throughout the city, where both residential and commercial spaces often remain empty in central areas due to limited urban policies, which do not incentivize landowners to rent properties at incrementally-adjusted rates and even make it easier to build new structures in lieu of renovating older ones. http://www.leandroviana.com/ocupacao