The Magazine for Leica M Photography

Copacabana Palace

02/04/2018, Peter Bauza’s exhibition Copacabana Palace will be on display at the GAF Hanover from 15 February to 25 March 2018.

In an ironic reference to the famous luxury hotel of the same name, ‘Copacabana Palace’ is the nickname given to an abandoned building project on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. It was constructed in the 1980s with the intention of creating a middle-class apartment complex – but the project was never finished.

Today, around 300 families live in the six blocks of unfinished flats – approximately 1000 people, though nobody quite knows for sure. They live without running water, proper electricity or medical care. The flats are damp, without solid windows or doors. The air is filled with the smell of discarded litter.

This dilapidated construction site is just one example of the fate and living conditions currently shared by millions of Brazilian citizens – whose government has spent millions on the infrastructure of global sporting events, while the country is experiencing one of its most severe political and economic crises to date.

Peter Bauza’s multi-award winning series not only presents ‘Copacabana Palace’ as the hell on earth it certainly must be, but also captures life-affirming moments amidst the daily struggle to survive. With his vibrantly coloured images, the photographer manages to convey his subjects’ joie-de-vivre, hopes and dreams, without ever glossing over the harsh reality of living in such a hostile environment.

Peter Bauza’s series Copacabana Palace is also featured in M Magazine No. 5.

For further details visit Galerie für Fotografie Hannover and Peter Bauza