Entre nós – A Figura Humana no Acervo do MASP, CCBB

This is a series of audio recordings with 40 curators (from the museum and other institutions), artists and guests, who picked and talked about artworks from MASP’s permanent collection.

A touring exhibition was presented in three CCBB (Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil) locations: in Rio de Janeiro, next in Belo Horizonte, and then in Brasília.

We’ve designed the content so that everything we produced could be re-used when the artworks return to the permanent display at MASP in São Paulo.

My role: director, editor

Vila Itororó, São Paulo

2015_vilaitororo_cb

Can stories from the past help design the future?
Why should a historic housing complex, that was once squatted in, be made public?
How can the public contribute to the creation of a cultural center?

Vila Itororó was built at the beginning of the XXth Century in the heart of São Paulo.

This project consisted of a series of audio interviews and portraits of all stakeholders. Architects, curators, former residents, social activists, construction workers and night watchmen discussed the renovation of this whole block and its transformation into a cultural center. And yes, someone told us about ghosts!

Rather than hosting the content on Soundcloud, I adapted the “Scorsese” audio guide web app code that was recently released on Github by the ACMI team.
I wrote a short blog post about the process of “Cloning Scorsese”.

A longer version of the interviews is also available on vilaitororo.org.br.

My role: producer, director, creative technologist

Binaural trail in Bom Retiro, Casa do Povo, São Paulo

2015_bomretiro

What technology and content strategies can help tell the rich narratives of a derelict neighbourhood?

I produced and directed this binaural (spatialized-audio) walking tour. We released it both as a podcast and on basic mp3 players provided by the institution. The goal was to keep people off their smartphones and create a truly immersive experience in a neighbourhood that is very culturally rich but can also be a bit edgy at times.

My role: producer, director, creative technologist

31st Bienal, Fundação Bienal de São Paulo

2014_31bienalsp

How can we share stories about contemporary art with a larger audience?

The São Paulo Bienal is one of the most popular exhibitions in South America.

I produced and directed interview-based audio guides in Portuguese and English, with a few tracks in Spanish. I made the suggestion to bring on a variety of voices: the 7 guest curators of this edition, some artists and staff from the Bienal Foundation including young educators. According to the Bienal team, it was the most creative audio guide they’ve ever had. Stats showed a strong increase in the number of listeners when compared with previous editions.

My Role: producer, director

Museu da Imagem e do Som, Fundação Roberto Marinho, Rio de Janeiro

2014_frm_misrj

Can mobile content and technology enhance a museum experience for visually impaired, blind, deaf and foreign visitors?

Rio de Janeiro’s MIS / Museum of Image and Sound is moving to a new home on Copacabana beach, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

I worked as a consultant to help the team decide how mobile technology should be used to improve accessibility for visually impaired, blind, deaf and foreign visitors.

My role: consultant, creative technologist

Casa Brasil, Rio 2016, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo & London

2012_casa_brasil_player

Is it possible to leverage on digital content production and distribute stories in different formats, on several platforms?

To promote Brazilian culture and Rio de Janeiro as the next Olympic destination, the Brazilian government set up Casa Brasil at Somerset House during London 2012. Three exhibitions were organized: about Brazil today; about contemporary Brazilian art and design; and about Rio 2016.

We recorded 14 interviews with artists in their studio, in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, in audio and video, that ended up on a free audio guide and as promotional videos. We traveled to London a week before the start of London 2012 to shoot a making-of. I produced the audio guide content for the three exhibitions, in Portuguese and English. Devices were made available on site.

My role: producer, director

Richard Serra, Monumenta, Paris

2008_monumenta_serra

Can an audio guide give visitors value for money in a minimalist exhibition?

When Richard Serra decided to install “only” 5 massive steel plates in this huge exhibition space, the organizers were concerned about the reaction of the visitors.

I produced a very rich, multi-layered audio guide, commissioned original music and sound effects. Visitors stayed to listen to Serra and many other guest experts. Some even sat down during their visit, the guide thereby added demonstrable value to the visitor experience.

audio sample (“Ma – Zen Gardens”)

My role: producer, director, creative director

Pompidou multimedia guide, Paris

2008_pompidou_podcast

I produced a collections tour and an architecture tour in 4 languages, an audio description tour for the visually impaired, a kids tour, and many temporary exhibition tours. I designed and built the tours in the proprietary CMS. It was published as a Flash application on PDAs running Windows CE.

One of my highlights on this project was recording a podcast series with teenagers. Very spontaneous, very inspiring. Every opinion counts!

My role: producer, creative director

Anselm Kiefer, Monumenta, Paris

2007_monumenta_kiefer

How can we change how audio guides are perceived by the public and prospective clients?

For Anselm Kiefer’s Monumenta show at the Grand Palais in Paris, I produced a one hour audio guide featuring the artist, the curator, a controversial art critic, extracts from poems by Paul Celan and Ingeborg Bachmann etc. And also an extra hour of “conversations” with specialists of German philosophy and German history, translators, etc. The take up rate was impressive for a contemporary art exhibition (it was free) and the feedback from visitors amazing.

Visitor: “I don’t want an audio guide, I came to see the artworks, I know about contemporary art.”
2 hours later: “Do you have this on CD? Can I take it home to listen again?”

audio sample (“Écrire sur les tableaux”)

My role: producer, creative director