Retratistas do Morro

Théâtre du Nord has invited the Institut pour la photographie to take over its communal spaces and present exhibitions there for the duration of its closure for renovations. After presenting six preview exhibition programs at its Vieux-Lille location, the Institut pour la photographie is now continuing all of its off-site activities until its reopening, scheduled for the second half of 2026. 

This inaugural exhibition reflects the shared concerns and commitments of the Théâtre du Nord and the Institute, featuring the European premiere of the Brazilian project Retratistas do Morro.  

Since 2015, this project has aimed to take a critical look at Brazil’s collective visual heritage and to enrich it by identifying, preserving, and disseminating the archives of photographers who have worked in places or communities that are underrepresented—or even absent—from this cultural heritage.

The archive of more than 250,000 negatives by photographers João Mendes and Afonso Pimenta, natives of Aglomerado da Serra, Brazil’s second-largest favela, located in Belo Horizonte, document the daily life and significant events of their community over more than fifty years.

The selection of photos presented here, based on the exhibition by Guilherme da Cunha, creator of Retratistas do Morro, focuses on the generations of the 1970s through the 1990s. The project’s particular focus on the issue of individual representation is also reflected in the collection of oral testimonies from the people photographed.

↘︎ Curating: Anne Lacoste, Director of the Institut pour la photographie

↘︎ CSR Initiative: In line with the commitments made by the Institut pour la photographie regarding corporate social responsibility, all the picture rails and frames used in this exhibition are part of a reuse initiative

↘︎ Playlist: Created by the photographers for the exhibition Retratistas do Morro on Spotify