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CourtneyGallardo
December8,2015
WorkofArt
BenjaminCraig

TheResponsibilityofVikMunizs
PicturesofGarbage

WasteLand
isadocumentaryfollowingtheBrazilianbornartist,VikMuniz.Inthefilm,
MunizlaunchesanewmixedmediaandphotographyprojectcalledPicturesofGarbage.The
goaloftheprojectistotraveltoJardimGramacho,theworldslargestlandfill,andphotograph
severalofthegarbagepickerswhoworkthere,calledcatadores.Afterphotographingthem,
Munizinvitesthecatadorestohelphimrecreatetheimageinlargescaleusingmaterialsfrom
thelandfill,whichisthenphotographedagainandprintedforauction.Inaskingthemto
participate,adebatearisesbetweenVikandhiscollaboratorsabouttheethicsofinvolvingthe
catadores.Thisdiscussionbegsthequestion:Whatresponsibilitydoestheartisthavetothe
communitytheyareserving?InthecaseofVikMuniz,hisresponsibilitytothiscommunityisto
treatitwithrespect,tousehispopularityappropriately,andtoultimatelybetterthecommunity
anditspeople.

JardimGramacho,locatedoutsideofRiodeJaneiro,istheworldslargestlandfill.The
catadoreswhoworktherecomefromverylowincomeneighborhoods.Duetothissevere
poverty,itseasytoseehowsomeonelikeVikMunizaworldfamousmodernartistcouldtake

advantageofthegarbagepickers.However,inthisproject,Munizworkedandinhandwiththe
catadorestosupportthemandtheirorganization,nottoextortthemortousethemforhisown
personalgain.Itgavethemthechancetodevelopapersonalconnectionwiththeproject.This
personalconnectioncanclearlybeseeninthefilm.Towardstheendofthedocumentary,wesee
thecatadoresattendthePicturesofGarbageshowattheMuseumofModernArtinRiode
Janeiro.Astheywalkuptotheframedportraits,theyareabsolutelyblownawaybyhowmuchit
lookslikethem.Theypointouttoeachotherwhichpartsoftheirfriendsportraitsthey
rememberworkingon.Itwaseasytoseehowamazedtheywereatthesheerbeautyofthefinal
photograph.Taievensaid,Itsworthwhiletobecomeaworkofart.

Asarenownedartist,VikMunizhadtheuniqueopportunitytousehispopularityinan
effective,positiveway.ThegoalofPicturesofGarbagewastoraisemoneyandawarenessto
supportthecatadoresandtheAssociationofGarbagePickersofJardimGramacho.The
ACAMJGwasfoundedbySebastiaoCarlosdosSantos,Tia,toimprovethelivesofthe
catadores.OveramillionpeoplesawtheshowinBrazil,secondinpopularityonlytoPicasso.
Theprojectraisedover$250,00[USD]allproceedswentbacktotheACAMJGandthe
catadores.ThismoneynotonlywentintofundingtheACAMJG,butalsoprovidedthecatadores
withsomepersonalfunds.

Thisfilmwasreleasedin2010,andsincetheendoftheproject,manyofthecatadores
havegoneontopursuemanydifferentinterestsandcareers.Zumbi,photographedasThe
Sower,inauguratedalibrarywith15computersattheACAMJGheadquarters.Magna,The

Gypsy,wentontoworkregularhoursatadrugstore,allowinghertospendmoretimewithher
son.Isis,IroningWomen,hassincecompletedasecretarialcourseandproceededtolookfora
newjob.Suelem,picturedinMotherandChildren,turned19andhadherthirdchild.Shelived
withthefather,whosupportedhertostayhomewiththechildren.IrmtheBearerinitiallyleft
thelandfillandstartedasmallcookingbusiness,butreturnedtoJardimGramachobecauseshe
missedherfellowcatadores.Additionally,thefundsfromPicturesofGarbagebought
ACAMJGatruckandequipment,andgavethemtheopportunitytoopenalearningcenter.This
moneyalsomadeitpossibletoprovideeducationandskilltrainingtohelpthecatadores
transitionafterJardimGramachosclosingin2012.

AlthoughJardimGramachoclosedshortlyafterthereleaseofthefilm,theimpactof
PicturesofGarbageisstillclear.Munizgoalwastonotonlyraiseawarenessaboutthe
workingconditionsforthecatadores,buttogiveachancetoworkwithVikinanefforttobetter
theircommunity.DuringJardimGramachosoperation,theprojectwasabletoprovidefunding
tomanyaspectsoftheACAMJGbuyingequipmentandinauguratingalearningcenter.Even
nowwiththeclosureofthelandfill,thecatadoreshavebeenabletofindsuccessandpursue
otherinterests.Whiletherewasclearlyamonetarygoalforthisproject,itseasytoseethatthere
wasalsoamorepersonalgoalofPictureofGarbage.Ingettingtotelltheirstoriesandcreate
suchanincrediblebodyofwork,thecatadoreshadtheopportunitytoseethemselvesinaway
theyneverhavebefore:asart.