COMMUNITY: p05 Brazil’s fashion past, present and future in a two day symposion at London College of Fashion
L. AMERICA: p09 Nov 20th - Dec 03rd 2012 LONDON EDITION
Communication Law in Argentina divides opinions over the right to information and media monopoly
www.brazilianpost.co.uk • Issue n. 76
STREET ART: FROM SAO PAULO TO LONDON
As street artist Cranio, from Sao Paulo, was in London to do some grafitti arts and exposes his works at Red Bull Studio, The Brazilian Post decided to look over the Brazilian street art scene. This edition brings as well an interview with Cranio and such a nice graffiti pictures. Check this out! Read more on pages 2 and 8 >>
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Nov 20th - Dec 03rd 2012
Front Page GRAFFITI
From Os Gêmeos to Cranio: the street art scene in Brazil By Kate Rintoul It’s an inevitable fact of modern urban life, where there is concrete and a marginalised youth with little voice or opportunities to channel their ideas or personality there will be graffiti. It is no surprise then that the concrete metropolis of Sao Paulo has long been a hotbed of Brazil’s own distinctive urban art. The graffiti and street art of Brazil’s major cities often incorporates the country’s idiosyncrasies – across the decades the likes of Os Gêmeos to the new names on the scene Cranio have favoured large scale, vibrantly coloured work and in Rio the landscape and natural beauty is often featured in wall art. There are also some common themes, figures representing indigenous men feature in the work of both Nunca and now Cranio has bought this iconic figures to London’s very own Brick lane, although the cold seems to have affected them, they are a very bold blue in colour. Graffiti really took off in Brazil in the early 1980s, along with the arrival Hip Hop and today is a major attraction for travellers from London. Londoner Tom Ashworth travelled to Brazil in 2006 to see the street art of Rio and Sao Paulo, “If you are interested in graffiti culture then you have to go to Brazil, you can really see the influences of music and culture on the work, there is just so much to see it’s great. Even on days when I wasn’t setting out to find work I ended up spotting incredible pieces from taxis and buses”. Brazilians are often summed up as ‘colourful or vibrant’ and seems certainly extended to a lot of their street art and graffiti yet other styles have also developed. Pixação or pichação is a unique form of graffiti native to the South-eastern metropolises of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. These scrawling inscriptions first appeared in the 1940s and 50s often in response to political advertisements and slogans. By the 1970s this form of graffiti had almost disappeared but it was revived by the young artists who used spray cans and rollers instead started tagging in this distinctive and cryptic style. As the
cities have grown taller so too have the aspirations of pixação artists who compete to paint in high and inaccessible places, using such techniques as free climbing. Many Brazilian street artists have started out in Pixação and gone on to develop their own style. Os Gêmeos (Portuguese for The Twins) are twin brothers, Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo, who have been producing graffiti first in Sao Paulo and then all over the world since the late 1980s. They have a very distinctive style, their work often features yellow-skinned characters - taken from the yellow tinge both of the twins have in their dreams and is diverse and ranges from tags to complicated murals. Subjects range from family portraits to commentary on São Paulo’s social and political circumstances, as well as Brazilian folklore. They gradually became a main influence in the local scene, helping to define Brazil’s own style and were invited to paint a colossal figure onto London landmark Tate Modern in part of its radical Street Art exhibition. Another major Brazilian street artist, Nunca was also invited to Tate modern and has had equal influence over Brazilian graffiti. Also from Sao Paulo, Nunca (“Never” in Portuguese - an affirmation of his determination not to be bound by cultural or psychological constraints) is one of Brazil’s most iconic urban artists. His detailed artwork influenced by his family roots and the richness of colour used has gained him a massive following and influenced the urban art scene in Brazil. Though in recent years is move into more commercial forms of work, such as major gallery exhibitions at Tate and a move towards producing edition work for sale have led some to criticise him for losing touch with his roots and protest. This is always a debate in the world of graffiti and street art. While graffiti is a relatively low-cost art form performed by disempowered young people with little opportunity, shifts in artistic thinking and acceptance of its beauty have made it a commercial endeavour over the last ten years. Most artists manage to find a balance, producing work to be shown in
Mortimer, Marketing & Media LTD CEO Marcelo Mortimer marcelo@brazilianpost.co.uk Editor-in-chief Ana Toledo ana@brazilianpost.co.uk English Editor Kate Rintoul Portuguese Editor Guilherme Reis Cool Hunter Zazá Oliva Entertainment Ricardo Somera Econommy Christiano Holanda Fashion Nathália Braga Food Saulo Caliari Ombudsman Allyson Leandro Profile Rômulo Seitenfus Sport Tico Silvério Travel Janinne Veloso What’s on Cibele Porto Graphic Design Roman Atamanczuk Jig Sarvaiya
Os Gêmeos’ graffiti in Sao Paulo galleries to please audiences and then hitting the streets when they can to keep the purists happy. It’s exactly the case of Fabio Oliveira, known as Cranio, who was in London earlier this month to do some graffiti work and also for a show in Red Bull Studio, in partnership with Zero Cool Gallery (just don’t tell the purists!). The Brazilian Post spoke with him about his work and the street art’s world. Check out the interview on Page 08.
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Brazil | 03 Security
Organised Crime puts São Paulo on the verge of conflict In the last 40 days, more than 260 policemen, many of them off-duty were shot dead by organised crime, gangs By André Diniz The security of São Paulo has taken a sharp turn to violence in the last three months, in a new streak of clashes between the Police and the criminal syndicate PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital, or “Capital’s First Command). The confrontation began in the outer neighbourhoods of the São Paulo metropolitan area and spread to the countryside and began in the state of Santa Catarina, with deaths, vehicle destruction and “curfew orders”. In the last 40 days, more than 260 policemen, many of them off-duty have been shot by members of organised crime. The clashes are part of a retaliation campaign sparked in June, when a Brazilian-funk MC, who was connected to the PCC were shot dead in a Police operation in one of São Paulo’s east side boroughs. In response, members of the crime syndicate opened fire on members of São Paulo Military Police (the Brazilian State Gendarme) during July. The Police response came in the end of July, when seven members of PCC were shot dead during an operation conducted by ROTA (special division of São Paulo Military Police) at a carwash on the outskirts of São Paulo. The intervention was presented as a part of an operation to destabilise the criminal organization. The conduct of the policemen was criticized by some members of Human Rights organisations because of its violence and body count in a single action, but the State government supported the ROTA modus operandi and has sponsored other interventions. Fearing a rampant revenge like those seen in 2006, when acts of terrorism caused massive panic along the São Paulo State, the authorities have started to act in the dugouts of the criminal faction inside São Paulo City. Neighbourhoods in the suburbs under control of organised crime woke up under “Saturation Interventions” during October, when the police presence in their area became permanent. With this stranglehold, the syndicate began to operate aggressively
Neighbourhoods in the suburbs under control of organised crime woke up under “Saturation Interventions” during October, when the police presence in their area became permanent Marcelo Camargo/ABr in other cities, spreading the panic across the population in the State. Until now, the São Paulo State Secretary of Public Security did not assume that there is an articulated operation from inside the penitentiaries but has sent in orientations to Military Police and Civil Police (responsible for investigations) to reinforce security on and off-duty. The central government offered help to pick information about the finances of the syndicate and transferred the leaders of the criminal organisation to federal prisons in Porto Velho (Rondonia State, in the far-north Brazil).
by the journalist Paulo Henrique Amorim pointed out the escalation of violence in São Paulo during the electoral campaign were cast out from the headlines. In the last days, the criticisms against state policies started to come from the Civil Police. A chief inspector from Sorocaba, a countryside city, was reprimanded by her superiors after placing the slogan “Bring it on PCC, I’m ready for you! If the Security Secretary doesn’t care, I care. Spare fathers, mothers and the poor innocent people”
in the back windshield of her car. Recently, the São Paulo State Governor Geraldo Alckmin was the lates to enter the furore, On 15 November, during the opening of the expansion works for the metropolitan train network, Alkmin said that the number of dead policemen would be short in comparison to the size of the Military Police in São Paulo. “We must give the proper [treatment], or they’ll create an unfair situation, almost a campaign against São Paulo”, declared the governor.
Whitewash Despite these conflicts over the last three months, many of these fatal occurrences in São Paulo city and in the state countryside have not been reported in the media. Different news portals have often misreported the crimes, and even the body count during the last few weeks. One of the main criticisms presented against the main news coverage came from independent journalists and bloggers on the Web and social networks. The argue that this news has been subjugated by the ‘news agenda’ for the municipal elections in the last four months, where the coverage was supposedly aligned with the judgement of Penal Action 470 in the Federal Supreme Court, also known of “Mensalão (pay-ola) The Justice Ministry, José Cardozo and Sao Paulo state Gov. Geraldo Alckmin Judgement”. Pundit blogs like ‘Conversa Marcelo Camargo/ABr Afiada (rougly translated as Sharp Talk)
Brazil | 04 |
Nov 20th - Dec 03rd 2012
DIVISION OF RESOURCES
Deadline set for Dilma to make decision on oil royalties President Dilma Rousseff has until 30 November to decide on the design that redistributes the wealth of oil royalties. The command arrived to the Civil House on Friday 9 November and gave the President 15 days to make this important decision. After approval in the Congress, held on 6 November, President Dilma said she would do a “comprehensive review” of the text before deciding whether to veto, in whole or in part or to approve the project without changes. The text was not approved by the Executive and left out the forecast for the transfer of 100 per cent of the royalties from wells that will be auctioned for education, as the government wanted. President Dilma has also advocated maintaining current contract’s exploration concession to preserve the gains of the producing states, Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo. Royalties are the values that federal agencies receive as compensation for environmental damage from oil companies exploiting the local area’s riches. This act seeks to redistribute the large amounts of wealth derived from Oil exploration and export which has so
far been concentrated in producer states such as Rio de Janiero. The proporal asks for a reduction from 30 to 20 per cent of the share of royalties intended to the Union. If approved, producing states would see their roylaities reduced from 26.25 to 20 per cent, along with producer municipalities would decrease from 26.25 to 15 per cent in 2013 to 4 per cent by 2020. Those municipalities that are affected by the presence of vessels would leave the current 8.75 to 3 per cent in 2013 to reach 2 per cent by 2020. In contrast non-producing states would see their share increase from the current 7 to 21 per cent in 2013, reaching 27 per cent in 2020. Non producing municipalities also would see their share grow, from the current 1.75 to 21 per cent in 2013, reaching 27 per cent in 2020. The report foresees the creation of a special fund “dedicated to all the municipalities, in 2012, equivalent to 4 billion reais (around £12 billion ), which will be distributed according to the same criteria for allotment of Municipalities Participation Fund. This represents an increase of almost seven times compared to 2010 values.”
Royalties are values that federal agencies receive as compensation for environmental damage from oil companies exploiting
EXCHANGE
Ministry of Culture inaugurates Brazilian centre in Lisbon
Marta and artistic director of the Museu Berardo, Pedro Lapa
Last Friday the Culture Minister Marta Suplicy inaugurated the Area Brazil (Espaço Brasil) - a cultural centre in the district of Alcântara (in the former space of Lx Factory) in Lisbon. The new centre will promote the activities of Brazil in Portugal with a year concerts, presentations, exhibitions, lectures, workshops and food events scheduled. To celebrate the opening, entry to the centre was free for all and Wilson Simoninha with Max de Castro and fado singer Mariza performed at the event which also marked the start of a Year of Portugal in Brazil, with performances of Portuguese stars in Brasilia, Rio and Belo Horizonte. The first exhibition at the cultural centre, Brazil in Popular Art: Collection of the Museum Casa do Pontal, is a unique show that brings to the public the largest private collection of popular art held in Brazil, courtesy of the family of French designer Jacques Van de Beuque (19222000).
Marta Suplicy, asserted that the promotion of Brazil in Portugal may be important to stimulate business between the two countries, especially at a time when Portugal faces a recession and needs investment while Brazil enjoys the benefits of it’s current economic boom yet this process seems to need more support. “It would be good for Portugal to be more present in the Brazilian economy. Though it is early days, I do not know if the business sector agreed on the importance of being present at this moment,” said the minister at a press conference in Lisbon.
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Community BRAZILIAN FASHION
Tales of cities, a rainforest and a 200 year-old cool hunter
Ronaldo fraga’s rainforest themed collection
By Kate Rintoul With innovative techniques, exotic style and probably the worlds most attractive models, it is little surprise that the fashion world is paying more attention to Brazil’s fashion weeks, Sao Paulo’s events now friendly rooted in their calendar of shows. Last week the London College of Fashion located in the heart of London’s bustling fast-fashion hub, Oxford Street, hosted a two-day symposium that brought some of Brazil’s leading fashion designers, historians and journalists together with their British and French counterparts to explore Brazil’s fashion past, present and future. A tale of three cities provided a highly comprehensive and thoughtful insight into several areas of the development of Brazil’s fashion industry. The event got started with iconic Minas Gerais born, Ronaldo Fraga who after studying at New York’s prestigious Parsons and selling hats with his brother in London’s Camden Market returned to Brazil in the 1990s. Fraga has become known as a fantastic designer and also social commentator, every year he presents highly inventive and original collections inspired by the county and raise awareness of important issues. Fraga showed a short documentary film about his latest collection that included bio-jewelry made by a cooperative of women from one of Brazil’s rainforest regions, giving them the opportunity to alleviate their works and attract star attention at Sao Paulo fashion week.
This first presentation opened up some very interesting ideas on what makes Brazilian fashion so distinctive and also some encouraging confirmation that big European brands such as Chanel, Gucci and Burberry will have to adapt to meet the needs and taste of the Brazilian fashion lover. Unlike in China where buyers frantically sought to buy into the European look and where many of these shops have enjoyed major success, only having to build mega-stores to meet the market’s demands Brazil’s home-grown fashion industry is successful in its own right and it is hard to see how even the most devout follower of fashion will take to the arrival of homogenous brands. It seems that rather than imposing their ideas of style and taste onto Brazilians, large companies in fashion and beauty are instead incorporating the country’s aesthetic. The event was well attended, by Brazilian students from the London College of Fashion and Central St Martins (where Fraga himself studied millinery) attending and clearly enjoying the event. I spoke to Flavia Abbud from Sao Paulo who is studying textile design at LCF and wanted to come to the event to find out more about the Brazilian fashion, “I am doing a project on tropicalia at the moment and looking for information wherever I can, this seemed like a good opportunity and it’s been really great.” Also in attendance and helpful to the event organisers by offering excellent translation skills, Isabella Loraca is in her final year of her degree in fashion History and Theory at the renowned Central St Martins. Loraca is writing her dissertation on the history of Brazilian fashion, with a focus on swimwear in Rio de Janeiro but finds it difficult to locate academic theory
on Brazil’s fashion heritage. “There is very little written on Brazilian fashion, especially in English so I am hoping to add to this with my dissertation. It was been fantastic to come and hear so many fashion historians speak, and give so much insight.” The two-day event had a great fusion of highly contemporary phenomena and themes but also a great inclusion of Brazilian fashion history that really gave depth and new perspectives on the country. By going back through Brazil’s fashionable past very modern tastes and tendencies in the country were explained, from the adapting of styles via immigration flows to the need for homegrown-talent to accommodate for different tastes and climates across the country. The highlight of the day for me was Fernando Hage’s discussion of Joao Alfonso, a cartoonist, writer and self
publisher who commented on social issues and style in Northern Brazil at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th Century. As Hage discussed Affonso’s wide spanning work, that documented the styles and characters he saw in Belem and other areas I couldn’t help but think of the style bloggers and cool hunters of today. Hage’s discussion was a great example of what was done very well at this event, which welcomes the future excitement that lies ahead for brazil’s fashion industry but also showed a self confidence and respect for all that has gone before. If you’re interested in Brazilian fashion or would like to find out more about this event contact us contato@ brazilianpost.co.uk or tweet #brazilfashion @katerintoul
Community | 06 |
Nov 20th - Dec 03rd 2012
http://hilarious-consequences.blogspot.co.uk http://www.steaknightcomics.com/steaknightcomics.com/RRR_BOOKS.html
OMBUDSMAN This is your chance to let the Brazilian Post’s team know what you think. Send your feedback and get involved! Send your emails to contato@brazilianpost.co.uk
“It is extremely important that the approach of the rights of indigenous peoples is conducted from the perspective of human rights. The publication had addressed precisely the existence of political/ commercial interests regarding the question of ensuring the preservation of indigenous peoples, the same interests that surround the land-reform and other agendas in discussion in Brazil.”
- Ricardo Michelli, Curitiba PR
Community| 07 PROFILE
Maritza Maffei da Silva: a tour through Shakespeare’s thoughts William Shakespeare, the worldrenowned English playwright who presented his plays at the Globe Theatre, on the banks of the Thames, celebrated his 400th birthday in 2012. Over the year London has hosted many events including the exhibition, Shakespeare: Staging the World held at the British Museum which draws to a close this week. Maritza Maffei da Silva, Master in Philosophy and Ph.D. in Law, is about to launch his book The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare: a meeting at the crossroads of literature, law and philosophy. In this interview, the Brazilian historian discusses her views that the Seven Deadly Sins were a major source of inspiration for the creations of Shakespeare, reveals details of his research and reflects on the origin and the rhetoric of the playwright. Da Silva also argues that Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, was inspired by Shakespeare to structure psychoanalytic theories. The source of inspiration for William Shakespeare was the human condition. He dealt with basic issues: justice and injustice, good and evil, greatness and degradation. You wrote in your book that Shakespeare had his works related to the Seven Deadly Sins... Yes. Part of the audience was made of lawyers. He also wrote for that segment and all the works of Shakespeare to this audience are centred in the capital sins. In The Merchant of Venice it is avarice, in Othello – jealousy and so Shakespeare encompassed issues inherent to the human condition. Harold Bloom, one of the greatest scholars of the dramatist, said that the human condition is seen as such from the creations of William Shakespeare. Human feelings are very attached to the seven deadly sins. In this context the unique talent of the writer is clear in each play when he portrays a deadly sin. Following this line of reasoning, if Othello’s sin is jealousy dio you think this offers an explanation to why he killed his wife, Desdemona? This is very interesting because yes, the central focus is the jealous Moor of Venice that has the young Desdemona, who has abandoned her family to marry him. He was much older and felt insecure by the difference in age and racial contrasts, he was dark while she was fair. The third character Iago, who exhibits a sinister homoerotic tendency towards Othello starts planting seeds of doubt about Desdemona in her husband’s mind. This works and Othello kills his
wife only to later discover her to be entirely innocent. Though this is not blind jealousy. In the work of Agatha Christie, Poirot’s Last Case, at some point of the book Hercule says: “Othello was taken in by Iago’s lies and led to destroy his relationship because he did not feel worthy of Desdemona’s affection.” Othello’s feelings of insecurity about his worth were what made him venerable o Iago’s poisonous speculation.
name, derived from a figure of classical antiquity created by Sophocles, could be applied to Shakespeare because Hamlet recounts a situation similar to Oedipus, and, in fact, if you look well, Oedipus did not kill his father and not have sex with the mother. So in fact, some commentators have aid that Freud didn’t name this the ‘Hamlet’ or ‘Shakespeare Complex’ only because he always thought Shakespeare was a more important figure than him.
In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare portrays a gross injustice when a legitimate contract made in accordance with all legal requirements ceases to be valid causing the central figure, Shylock to lose everything. What are your views on justice and what relevance does this story have today? Yes, and it reminds me a lot of the historical issues that permeate the entire works of Shakespeare and often link the concept of history and justice. There is a Jewish historian named Jerusalmi who makes a distinction between justice and history. Using the historical examples related to the Holocaust, Jerusalmi said that antithesis of forgetting is not the memory, it is the serving of justice because it helps wounds to heal. So when we realized that injustice today is part of our life, including through the allocation of famous powers of Montesquieu, who said that the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary were independent. But today, when the executive fails, misses the Legislature, all the expectation of the people is that the judiciary re-establish that this right was violated. When this happens, it is a synonym that can precede a seizure social, because there’s nothing left, not who has the most appeal. When the sin is the judicial meltdown.
Freud did specifically commented on the Merchant of Venice… In his analysis Freud says: “If what we were concerned with were a dream, it would occur to us at once that caskets are also women, symbols of what is essential un a woman, an therefore of a woman herself, like coffers, boxes, cases, baskets and so on.” The men’s choices say less about who they are but more about the woman that they are looking for.
There are some skeptics that say Shakespeare didn’t write all of the work he is credited with, do you believe in this theory? It really is still a thesis. It is suspected that some of the ideas, if not whole works could have been appropriated from the playwright Christopher Marlowe and philosopher Francis Bacon. You have said you believe that Sigmund Freud, father of psychoanalysis, used the works of Shakespeare to build his theories. Freud never directly quoted Shakespeare in his literature, why do you think this to be true? Shakespeare is an author of such importance that when Freud was structuring his theories in psychoanalysis. This is specifically the case when naming and testing the theory that would become he Oedipus Complex. Freud was in doubt if the
And if you look for that symbolism of the time, the choices man/woman were well defined? Yes, even Freud himself says so in the following analysis: “One could argue that what is shown here are the three inevitable relations that a man has with a woman. The woman who gives birth, the woman who is his partner, and the woman who destroys her life. Or they are the three forms taken by the figure of the mother during the life of a man. The birth and love from the mother herself, the wife or beloved who is chosen according to that model. But it is in vain that the old man yearns for the love of a woman like his mother had first, only the third fate, the silent Goddess of Death, will take him in her arms. It is this type of thinking that often portrays death as a feminine figure, leading us back to the womb, the mother, which is the land.
Photo: by Rômulo Seitenfus
By Rômulo Seitenfus
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Nov 20th - Dec 03rd 2012
INTERVIEW
‘Graffiti is the city’s tattoo’
By Guilherme Reis (with collaboration of Ricardo Somera) Fabio Oliveira was born in 1982 in Sao Paulo. He began drawing at two years old and, at 16, began risking the first drawings on the walls of the largest city in Brazil. At school, a reputation as a good student has brought the nickname by which he is known today: Cranio. On the streets, his graffiti can give a new look to a city known for its gray tone. On his first trip to Europe, Cranio was in London this November and made his mark with graffiti that can be found in and around Brick Lane. He also participated in a solo exhibition at Red Bull Studio, in partnership with Zero Cool Gallery. The Brazilian Post was there on Friday 16 November. Among many Brazilians and foreigners interested in street art in Brazil, Cranio told us how he started doing graffiti, his influences and purposes. He also spoke about the scenes in São Paulo and London, about bringing street art into the gallery and on pixação. How did you become interested in graffiti and what were your first influences and references? The first references I had were a magazine called Fiz - first magazine of graffiti in Sao Paulo - and even some graffiti on the street. Binho, who is an older graffiti artist, and Os Gêmeos made me appreciate graffiti too. The references I have are basically all found in São Paulo. When did you find that graffiti was actually your job? I’ve always done graffiti since 1998. I spent ten years doing graffiti without remuneration. Four years ago it changed. I dedicate 100% of my time to the graffiti, and also to painting on canvas. So began appearing invitations and work much more often.
How did the opportunity to come to London appear? It came when Anthony from Zero Cool Gallery. We got about eight months negotiating this. And I also came here to London to close a future release prints and canvas, only acrylic paint on canvas. What can you say about the street art scene in Sao Paulo and as you see it compared to London? The scene is very similar. Sao Paulo is a bit frantic because it is larger than London and we can say that there is a lack of control of the society, then you have several places with graffiti attacks and they remain. Unlike London you have to know where tis safe to do it because you can be arrested - and Sao Paulo as well, but as the city is often in chaos, you can do a lot more. Where is harder to do street art? London or Sao Paulo? I think here as it has more surveillance. Here you have two hours to do the graffiti and three days to get the permit.
How did you managed to paint in Brick Lane? It was authorized. It was a partnership with the owner of the building. When street art comes to gallery it ceases to be street art? I do not see it like this. Canvas have to be hung somewhere close. The graffiti has not, he has to be in a public place. The graffiti is like a tattoo of the city, I’m an artist from the street not at an art gradaute. So for me just change the size of the support, but it’s the same thing. The paintings I do on canvas, I do also on the street. And you feel more satisfaction in seeing your work on the street or in a gallery? I am most pleased to see my work in a gallery, because there’s recognition. The graffiti is a gift, I feel that I need to put it there. The canvas I make with care and quality, durability, precision strokes, techniques. The screen is completely white, then you create the whole atmosphere, the whole environment.
On the job you are bringing, the blue Indians, when did you start drawing them and how did that idea appear? I always draw my characters blues. I always had this feature, which you can see by their anatomy. One day I drew an Indian and I found it nice to do in the jungle of stones that is Sao Paulo. And what reflection do you want make with the art of the Indians? In fact the Indian is not only the Brazilian Indian or indigenous class. Actually symbolizes every person living in large cities. We live in a concrete jungle. So we’re like an Indian hunting a lion and living in the jungle. I pick the character that has indigenous features visually and put him in situations that I live. And for the future, what are you planning? Probably next year I come back to do an exhibition in London, a larger show with installation, sculpture, canvas, painting on the wall. And working on the street, doing real graffiti.
09
Latin America COMMUNICATION LAW
Argentina: Right to information, not monopoly By Manoela de Borba* Since the passing of the Communication Law, in October 2009, the Argentine press has been polarized. On one side, the Clarín group, which controls 47 per cent of the Argentine market, which will have to dispose of a substantial part of their licenses to fulfill the Law of Media. On the other, the newspapers and the governing apparatus of state advertising, with news agencies, national radio and public television. The government of Cristina Kirchner and her journals have used official channels to counter the hegemonic discourse sustained by the mainstream media. One of the central articles of the law is called the “disinvestment process”, which reduces from 22 to 10 the maximum number of licenses for radio and TV that can be controlled by the same company. For Clarín, the largest media conglomerate in the country with more than 250 licenses, the democratisation of the sector and greater plurality and diversity in programming undermines their political and economic interests. Other media monopolies - Telefonica, Vila-Manzano, Cristóbal López and Moneta, presented their projects to the disinvestment regulatory agency. It is now up to the government to tender for establishing the future owners of radio and television licenses that exceed allowed by law. Already Clarín’s has expressed concern with the disinvestment order. The group controls 47 per cent of the market for TV channels and cable and 31 per cent of newspaper circulation. Another recipe from the Clarín group, shared with the newspaper La Nación thanks to the military dictatorship, is Papel Prensa (press paper). Since 1976, the daily Clarín and La Nación majority equity are in control of the Argentine company that manufactures and supplies paper for 170 Argentine newspapers, supplying 75 per cent of the market. Currently, besides the circulation of 300 thousand copies of daily publications, the Clarín group disseminates its hegemonic speech through an information network cable (Cablevisión), broadcast television channels (Channel 13 and 10 other stations within the country), radios (and Mitre other AM and FM), news agency (DyN) with other media outputs under it’s daily control (La Voz del Interior, Los Andes) or associated (El Litoral).
Media Law prevents a certain groups the power to exercise control over the volume information Before, the public could take a leave of cable TV in every city in the country until 2200 licenses per company, with Law 26,522 limit dropped to 24. The change also prevents the number of outlets a company can manage in the same city. In Buenos Aires, the group must choose between Channel 13, one of the leaders of the hearing, and Cablevisión, which owns nearly 60 per cent market share of cable TV nationally. Although sanctioned three years ago, the media and even political polarization over law intensified from May this year. Ever since the country’s Supreme Court ordered the suspension of the injunction and set the Clarín group a deadline of 7 December (embraced by Kirchnerist as 7D), for compliance with Article 161. Since then, protests have brought thousands of protesters into the streets screaming for freedom of expression. Initially convened by social networks and then reproduced and commoditised by large groups especially driven by the daily Clarín and La Nación and the Vila-Manzano group in the province. The two recent events involving 13S and 8N, on 13 September 13 and 8 November, has the same root: an undemocratic government that undermines freedom of speech and press. Speech and freedom to it are indeed labeled in meetings of the Inter American Press Association (SIP) and commonly defended by media monopolies. Targeting the critical Cristina Kirchner’s government, which accuses him of trying to control the media and restrict freedom
of expression laws to control content, SIP hides that most developed countries have regulated sectors of communication and not concentrated. Ignoring the fact that unlike the situation in Europe or North America, the Latin American countries have no tradition of state control over regulation of the media. In Latin America, where the first laws on media were created between the years 1930 and 1960, some governments - Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina focused efforts on democratisation policies and regulations over the media. In Bolivia, the law of 2011 enacted by President Evo Morales, demanded for the payment and distribution of radio and television frequencies equally open: 33 per cent for private means, 33 per cent for operating public media, 17 per cent for operation of community media and 17 per cent for indigenous peoples. The Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television of Venezuela has prioritized local production, community and national information network allowed a Latin American and defined the operation of public media. While in Brazil community communication is criminalised, Argentine law command that one-third of the total licenses available in domestic audiovisual media should be directed and be in possession of the governmentcommunity. This is a significant step forward for freedom of expression and right to information. Democratisation
measures that are not only threaten the economic plan of the companies, but that affect the political landscape and the interests they defend and communication companies represent. In Brazil, discussions on the regulatory framework for the sector prohibit the practice of monopoly and give priority to regional and independent production. Even the media coverage of the biggest trial of corruption, the Rousseff’s government seemed keep the position not to promote progress for the regulation of the sector. Then, when the most famous TV program spent 18 of 32 minutes of programming for coverage of the court session, the Brazilian Workers Party (PT) issued the regulation as a priority on the political agenda of the party. The Argentinian Media Law, contrary to the claims of the media monopolies, makes no representations or content control, but prevents a certain groups the power to exercise similar control over the volume information. The paradox is that it is exactly these complaints of major media labels over supposed attacks on freedom of expression that any of these attempts to promote greater diversity in the sector are trying to protect. Proof that this is not only to defend the right to inform, but to keep the sinews of power without any control and without any limit to the expansion plans and focus. (*) Journalist, masters in Journalism and Media at the University of La Plata, Argentina.
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Nov 20th - Dec 03rd 2012
Technology SOCIAL MEDIA
How much for a crowd of fans?
If you think money can’t buy you friends, think again. In the online world, it’s possible to purchase a crowd of fans. One thousand cost only $18 on average, according to estimates
by Barracuda Networks, a network security company. Yet these friends won’t meet you for drinks after work. In fact, they don’t even exist. They are pixels on a screen.
A large share of social-media followers of the biggest companies are not human, believes Marco Camisani Calzolari, an entrepreneur and professor at Milan’s ILUM University. In a recent study he quantified the proportion of computer-generated fans or inactive users following big brands on Twitter. To decide whether a follower is human, Mr Camisani Calzolari used various criteria, including the number of posts from a fan’s Twitter account and the use of correct punctuation in tweets. According to this research, by June 2011 nearly half of Twitter followers of computer maker Dell—about 700,000— were bots. Some politicians also seem to have many fake followers. Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate, became the focus of media attention when his Twitter following swelled by 17% in a single day in July. On close inspection, a significant proportion of Mr Romney’s followers appeared to be fake profiles. In Italy Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement lost momentum when Mr Camisani Calzolari made a similar claim about the followers of the comedian-turnedpolitician. There is no indication that any of the companies mentioned in Mr Camisani Calzolari’s paper have bought followers— rogue bots often attach themselves to people and brands without payment. But some firms do buy a social media following. Fake profiles are at the
centre of a very vibrant and growing underground economy, says Barracuda Networks. On eBay, the e-commerce site, for instance, the firm’s researchers have found 20 sellers offering to set up such profiles. For start-ups a strong social media following can boost business. A small mom-and-pop shop struggling to sell its wares can look like a booming upstart thanks to a swollen Twitter account, or an artificially high number of Facebook likes. For major international companies, an underwhelming number of followers in the early stages of engagement with social media can be galling at best and damaging to brand perception at worst. Buying crowds of fans—even if they aren’t engaged with the brand—can give an artificial boost to a business. For now, the trick works. “Normal people don’t know yet that there is this black market. Most have total trust that a brand’s followers are real,” says Mr Camisani Calzolari. But brands are already finding diminishing returns. When everybody has a large following, the impact is much diminished. And consumers are starting to cotton on to sharp practices. “The number of followers is a superficial measurement unless they are engaged,” argues Carly Donovan of Ogilvy Action, an arm of Ogilvy & Mather, the advertisement and public relations agency. Money can buy you friends—just not very good ones. * from The Economist
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Economy BY
CHRISIANO HOLANDA cholanda@brazilianpost.co.uk
Briefings… British Regulator Probes BBC Report Britain’s communications regulator is investigating the British Broadcasting Corp. for a broadcast that improperly accused a former Conservative Party official of child sex abuse.
U.K. Data Compounds Gloomy Outlook The bleak outlook for the U.K. economy was underscored last week as new data revealed a slump in spending in October and an expected increase in residential property repossessions in 2013.
BOE Chief Sees Policy Limits The Bank of England cut its growth forecasts for the U.K. economy and its governor said there is little he can do to boost growth prospects, as the global economy needs to be rebalanced.
University Fees Stoke U.K. Inflation The annual rate of inflation in the U.K. rose in October, official data showed, driven by a jump in university tuition fees and higher food prices than a year earlier.
There Is A Way To Raise Taxes On The Rich Without Raising Their Rates At a press conference, President Obama said it is nearly impossible to raise taxes on the wealthy (a key piece of his fiscal strategy) without increasing their tax rates. It is, Obama said, a matter of simple arithmetic. But a look at some very rough numbers suggests that if the president and congressional Republicans want to compromise, there is a middle ground. It may not be great tax policy and the politics is by no means easy, but the maths may work. Firstly you need to think about the two problems policymakers face: the first, getting beyond the next few months and designing a long-term deficit reduction plan that includes both new taxes and secondly significant reductions in planned spending. Most of the current focus is on avoiding the fiscal cliff. Obama insists on extending most of the 2001-03 tax cuts except for those that benefit the rich. Most Republicans want to extend those tax cuts for everyone, including the wealthy, which would add about another $1 trillion to the deficit. Their argument is what to do about the difference. In Obama’s words, “It’s very difficult to see how you make up that trillion dollars … just by closing loopholes and deductions.” Actually, it isn’t. First, remember that both Obama and Mitt Romney proposed across-the-board limits on tax preferences. Obama would limit the value of deductions and some
President Obama does not think so... to 28 percent (thus, people in higher brackets would lose some of the benefit of their deductions). Such a cap would generate about $600 billion—if rates return to 2001 levels. Romney would have placed a dollar cap on deductions. The Tax Policy Center figures that limiting deductions to $50,000 would generate about $750 billion. That’s probably high since it applies to all taxpayers, not just those who meet Obama’s definition of high
income ($200,000 for singles/ $250,000 for couples). While most of the revenue from the cap would come from the highestincome taxpayers, those making less than $200,000 would pay some new taxes. In addition, if Congress caps deductions for only the rich, it would need to phasein such a change to avoid slamming someone with a big tax hike as soon as their income goes from $199,999 to $200,000. And that would reduce revenue even more.
Mass European Strikes Have Little Effect General strikes and sporadic violence against government austerity programs racked Spain, Portugal and Greece, but they appeared unlikely to sway the leaders of countries that are becoming inured to protests after four years of economic distress. Protest fatigue, declining levels of unionisation and factionalism within the labor movement have combined to take much of the bite out of strikes as tools for changing government policy, analysts said. Last Wednesday’s coordinated strikes, denouncing budget cuts encouraged by the European Union, were touted by organisers as the widest union-
led challenge to austerity since the start of the global recession in 2008. In Spain and Portugal, subway and bus services were closed or running at limited levels. More than 330 flights were canceled in the two countries. Hospitals were staffed with skeleton crews. Clashes erupted in Spain after tens of thousands of strike supporters held a peaceful evening rally in Madrid’s central Plaza de Colón. Television images showed people hurling rocks and bottles at police officers, who clubbed demonstrators to the ground and hauled away others in police vans. Garbage bins along a central
Madrid boulevard and a police vehicle in Barcelona were set afire. Authorities reported 142 arrests and more than 70 injuries across Spain. Spain’s heavily unionised factories were closed, but electricity demand in the country, a key measure of economic activity, declined only modestly compared with a normal business day. In Greece, shops were operating as usual and diners were seated at sidewalk cafes several blocks from Athens’ Parliament building, where demonstrators held banners with slogans such as “Stop Austerity, Growth Now.”
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Nov 20th - Dec 03rd 2012
Sport
by Tico Silvério
The secret of Fluminense Fluminense are the winners winner of the Brazilian Championship in 2012. With an unquestionable campaign, the team took its fourth Brazilian title, the second in the last three championships. With a strong team in all sectors, competent coaching staff and especially the gunner Fred (former Lyon - France) inspired Fluminense to a great end to the season. Like many good things, the beginnings were understated but as time went on they were left with practically no opponent in the title race and fans were able to unleash their celebrations three games away from the final. So what is the secret of the current Fluminense team? It is a stark contrast to past performances, recalling that in the late ‘90s the club suffered from poor planning and a sequence of downgrades, reaching the absurdity of playing the Third Division of the Brazilian Championship. It is clear that the success of Fluminense is due in large part to the talent of the players but none of this technique would exist without planning and especially without a large investment. A strong and
solid partnership between Fluminense and Unimed has been the foundation of the team’s success from. The club’s sponsor is considered to have an “open hand” and attends virtually all meetings of the technical committee and club president Peter Siemsen. As an illustration of this power, Fluminense has a monthly spend, including payroll of around £2.4 million, more than twice the fifthplaced Botafogo. This formula, Planning + Investment = Titles is not new in the world of football, in recent years clubs have frequently been bought by investors and multi-millionaires and clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City are reaping the fruits of the millions injected into their coffers. Peter Siemsem, president of Fluminense, promises an even stronger team for 2013, aiming to dispute the Libertadores. But given the great campaign in 2012, Fluminense will certainly be the target of several European clubs during the upcoming transfer window and players like goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri (exLiverpool), defenders Leandro Eusebio
He was a champion... It can sometimes be said that sport forgets champions with the same ease that it creates them. Winning a World Cup, an Olympic medal or a Grand Slam is not necessarily an eternal guarantee of success. To in some way re-balance this, The Brazilian Post will include a forgotten champion in each edition. To begin, let’s step up and remind ourselves of the champions of Formula 1. The year was 1996 and despite the championship of Michael Schumacher (1994 and 1995) and the memories of the wonderful and unforgettable disputes between Senna, Prost and Mansel, there was another driver who caught the eye. British Damon Graham Devereux Hill, or simply Damon Hill, driving with Williams, left behind his teammate Jacques Villeneuve and Schumacher, scoring 92 points and securing the title. Hill made history not only for the championship, but also by becoming the first son of a Formula 1 champion win in the same contest - his father, Graham Hill, was world champion in 1962 and 1968. Hill’s 1996 title did not come by chance. Hill was Senna’s partner at Williams and after the Brazilian’s death, became
the team’s first driver. In the following years (1994 and 1995) he gave much work to Michael Schumacher, coming a close second on two occasions. Despite scoring 122 Grand Awards, 20 pole positions, 42 podium appearances, 20 wins and the title, often Damon Hill seems to have been neglected in the history of Formula 1. Even if Hill is not seen as one of the major F-1 superstars, it should never be forgotten that he was and is a champion.
and Gum, midfielder Thiago Neves and strikers Rafael Sobis, Wellington and Fred could all potentially leave the team. Yet when you consider the past few years, fans of the Brazilian champions
should be assured that even if they lose some of the champions this year to Europe, Fluminense in 2013 will still be strong and competitive, this is ensured by their sponsor.
Sport | 13 FOOTBALL
Brazil and Argentina gear up for Superclasico By Jamie Jubon Brazil take on Argentina this week in the second leg of this year’s Superclasico de las Americas. The Selecao have had to name a squad made up entirely of players from the Brazilian Serie A due to the players based in Europe having to participate in UEFA Champions League matches for their clubs. It should be an interesting affair seeing as Argentina have also had to the same. There will still be a substantial interest in Europe as there always is when these two footballing heavyweights collide. The Champions League matches may dominate the news columns over the next few days but plenty of Europeans will have an eye on proceedings in Buenos Aires. Although the match kicks off at midnight in central Europe, it is well over two hours after the Champions League games are completed and I certainly can’t see myself as being the only person in Britain staying up to watch. The game is being screened on ESPN UK, as the first leg was, which already in itself demonstrates that plenty of Britons are eager to see what happens. It will also be a good opportunity for players based in Brazil to show the strength of the Brazilian Championship to the rest of the world. Players like Neymar, Leandro Damiao and the recalled Fred may already be known to European viewers, but some other uncapped players could step up and make a name for themselves in this game. There will be an array of managers and scouts across the EU no doubt checking to see who the next Brazilian superstar yet to be uncovered could be, and this Superclasico will be a good chance for the likes of Bernard, Marcos Rocha and Jean to impress on their Selecao debuts. Chelsea supporters may also have an even keener eye on proceedings with the beginning of the FIFA Club World Championship only three weeks away. Two Corinthians players that the Blues may well end up facing in Japan are in the squad to play Argentina, with Fabio Santos and Paulinho all selected to play. The five-times World Cup winners lead 2-1 after the first leg in Goiania when goals from Neymar and Paulinho secured victory. Supporters of both countries, particularly those from Brazil travelling to Argentina, will hope that the match lasts a good deal longer than the last time these two attempted to lock horns. That was back on October 3 when the 2nd leg was postponed due to a floodlight failure.
Brazil will be favourites to once again claim victory over their great rivals. The fact that so many of Argentina’s best players ply their trade in Europe, and are therefore unavailable for this game, will play a major role in the pre-match predictions. Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Ezequel Lavezzi will all be very interested spectators at home in Europe whilst their fellow countrymen attempt to win the Superclasico de las Americas for the first time. Many of La Albicileste’s famous names will be absent, but the fact they have home advantage in what will be a raucous atmosphere in the capital Buenos Aires could prove a significant factor. The Selecao have a lead to defend, but trying to defend it for the 90 minutes may not be the best idea with a partisan Argentinean crowd on their backs. Attack may be the best form of defence, and if they were to steal an early goal, the crowd may become rather subdued, lessening their influence and ensuring the Brazilian player’s nights are a whole lot easier.
History of the Superclasico de las The Superclasico de las Americas, translated into English as the ‘Americas’ Super Derby’, was reintroduced last year as a successor to the previous Roca Cup. The old tournament was abolished in 1976 having been established way back in 1914. Brazil and Argentina were the only two participants and it was set up as a way of finding the unofficial ‘South American Champion’. Between those years however, the Roca Cup only took place a total of 11 times. Brazil were by far the most successful of the two countries, claiming the title on eight separate occasions.
After 1976, 35 years passed until it was decided in 2011 the Roca Cup would be introduced, however under a different guise, the Superclasico de las Americas. It still has the same format as the last version, with two two-legged matches, one being played in Brazil and the other in Argentina. Brazil won the inaugural competition last year, after drawing 0-0 in Cordoba and triumphing by two goals to nil in the return leg in Belem. In 2012, after a first-leg victory, Mano Menezes’ squad will be confident of adding a second Superclasico trophy to sit alongside that of last year.
Business | 14 |
Nov 20th - Dec 03rd 2012
TOURISM
Brazilian culture takes centre stage at London’s World Travel Market Earlier this month the focus was on Brazilian culture as London hosted the 33rd edition of the World Travel Market, widely considered the most important event of the tourism industry worldwide. The novelty of this edition was that besides winning a large stand, Brazil also had a space dedicated exclusively to the country’s cultural credentials, the cities of Brasilia and Salvador, respectively recognized as World History Heritage by UNESCO and as World Cultural Heritage were both celebrated at the event. “It’s a great opportunity to show Brazil, and diversify tourist destinations for foreigners visiting the country,” said the executive secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Valdir Simon. The WTM offers a wide range of various
destinations for tourism professionals from the UK and around the world. In addition to information on the latest industry trends, the event provides attendees advantages for their business. “Today we live in an economy of very competitive tourism. Therefore, it is important to understand Brazil as countries position themselves as a tourist destination and, in turn, also have an appropriate strategy to attract and welcome tourists,” added the secretary. Brazilian Culture The Brazilian stand dedicated to culture featured photographic panels of Brasilia and Salvador, artisans displaying local art and exhibition of objects made in the cities.
The space featured a Salvador Bahia dressed in character, a booth providing information about the region and the Federal District and was also the location for an exclusive cocktail party for operators working in cultural tourism. Other destinations also shared he limelight, the states of Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Amazonas, Sergipe, Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará. The booth Embratur brought together representatives from hotels, airlines, tour operators and entities. Profile of British tourist The WTM held annually in England, itself a country that occupies the 11th position in the ranking of the largest numbers of tourists to Brazil. Last year
alone, 149 564 000 British tourists came into our country. According to the Study of International Tourist Demand 2012, conducted by the Institute of Economic Research (Fipe) for the Ministry of Tourism, about 80 per cent of visitors were satisfied with their stay, and 91.5 per cent expressed an intention to return. The profile indicates that English tourist preference in leisure tourism, is for destinations that fit the “sun and beach” model (38.5 per cent), followed by “ecotourism or adventure” (29.2 per cent). 2013 in Brazil Next year the Word Travel Market will have a Latin version, which will be held in Sao Paulo from 23 to 25 April. For more information visit www. wtmlatinamerica.com.
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