“In hoc signo vinces” not just served as a motto of the Portuguese Empire to justify their god given power but also echoes the liberation theology of the oppressed. The overloaded baroque and rococo churches depicting a Eurocentric reading of the Bible were built by enslaved people, who all too often lost their lives in the process. Only the simpler (and more beautiful) churches, which were attended by the Black community, show a more diverse representation of the historical reading, sometimes opening up for African or indigenous influences. Today, the scenographic, liturgical and commercial elements of Ouro Preto, Tiradentes or São João del Rei reveal that the theater is still performed up until today.
Some highlights from Belo Horizonte, starting with the famous ‘Igreja da Pampulha’ - built by Oscar Niemeyer with murals by Candido Portinari, and an exterior landscape designed by Roberto Burle Marx. Despite its controversial reflection as a Catholic Church, it was the starting point for Niemeyer and later president Kubitschek to create their ‘modern’ Brasil…
Condominium life…
Some photos of an exclusive place in the mountains outside Belo Horizonte, where access to parts of rivers, lakes and waterfalls is reserved for the few who can afford to live inside the fence. On a larger scale, multinational companies can still acquire vast natural areas for their commercial activities...
