LISBON, PORTUGAL 2002-2003

Halfway between Sta. Apolónia Station and the Expo’98, through the avenida marginal that draws the oriental contour of the city, it is now found, again, a neighbourhood — Beato — still marked by the industrial environment and the old worker’s residences, in the midst of various warehouses, where memories of more prosperous times are kept, auto repair shops and the ‘Teatro da Garagem’. The intense white light, feature of these river strips in Lisbon, and the somewhat decadent context, establish the plot.

The program couldn’t be any clearer: one photographic studio with daylighting and another one, black, lit only in an artificial way; one administrative work area, dressing rooms, storage and service areas; one rest area opened above the main space where photo shoots take place with a bar that allows the entire space to open for parties, from time to time.

The experience of going from one space to the other is violent. The eye takes time to adapt to this strong contrast. The retina contracts itself, seeking to protect from the excess of light, or it expands itself almost to the diameter of the eye, attempting to see in the dark. At some point, all these movements seemed to us similar to the operating of a photography camera.