The Pinacoteca de São Paulo, museum of the Secretariat of Culture, Economy and Creative Industry of the State of São Paulo, opens a video room dedicated to audiovisual works, a fundamental production in contemporary art in Brazil and an important part of the institution's collection. The video Pilgrimage (2010), by Eder Santos, opens on December 9, 2023.
The word “Pilgrimage” is of English origin and means saga and journey. From this comes the name of Eder Santos' video, which addresses the mineral extraction process. This exploratory activity is carried out in different regions of the country, especially in Minas Gerais, the artist's home state. The practice dates back to the colonial period and has marked the country's history until our time of globalization, when ore extraction became responsible for even greater sociopolitical and environmental fractures. With images captured in high security areas on the premises of Vale, one of the largest companies in the sector, the video allows you to learn about the different stages of ore production, from removal to maritime transport for sale.
The raw material saga is narrated by images with textures and tones of brown and gray, which intensify following scenes of the mines being imploded. The perception of impact is reinforced by the soundtrack and mixing by Stephen Vitiello and Alexandre Martins, who use synthesizers and piano to produce bass that exposes the dramatic burden of environmental and territorial extractivism. The result is a sophisticated weave of images and sounds that generate apocalyptic contours, in which the strength of each action challenges the limits between reality and fiction.
Pilgrimage, 2010, video, 14'13".
