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At the end of this week, on October 28th 2018, we will see the run-off round of the General elections in Brazil. The vote will see the confrontation of two candidates: Fernando Haddad (PT/ Workers' Party) and Jair Bolsonaro (PSL/ Social Liberal Party).
Although not being one of the official candidates due to his judiciary troubles, one of the most famous and debated figures of the country remains Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was president of Brazil from 2003 to 2011. To these days he remains the most leftist president of Brazil in the contemporary age.
In 2016, Lula was accused of money laundry and since 2018 he has been banned from any public office for the whole duration of the penalty. Accordingly, in September 2018 the Superior Electoral Court reject Lula's candidacy. However, it approved the coalition of Lula, the PT-PCdoB-PROS coalition "The People Happy Again", with the candidacy of Fernando Haddad, who was close to Lula during his mandate.
In this picture, the polish artist Uklanski portrayed Lula in 2005 from a unique perspective. This photographic portray on aluminium is part of a series on social portrays started in the late 1990s, which represents both famous personalities as well as common people.
The picture shows a photographic foreground of Lula de Silva the President of Brazil, as suggested by the brooch with the Brazilian flag he wears. However, his image is flipped upside down and his figure is reproduced as reflected on water. This stratagem disclosures to the viewer an alternative, more dramatic and layered perspective of the familiar personality, who at the time was at the peak of his career. What can you see now?
From the October 12th until the December 2nd 2018, this work will be visible at the temporary exhibition 'Chi Utopia Mangia le Mele' in Verona (IT), in occasion of ArtVerona.
Credits Cover Image: Piotr Uklanski