By the Bank: A Reflection on the Riverbanks and Love Letters to the Rio Doce

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47456/rf.rf.2132.49279

Keywords:

Mariana disaster, environmental contamination, engaged art, Rio Doce, collective memory

Abstract

This text discusses the impact of the 2015 Samarco dam collapse (MG) on the Rio Doce, highlighting the environmental and social devastation resulting from contamination by mining waste. The riverside landscape, once marked by affection and subsistence, has become a diseased ecosystem, rendering traditional activities unviable and contaminating water resources. It also addresses the artistic project "Monuments of Love to the Rio Doce" (2018-2020), led by Piatan Lube, who collected letters from affected communities in Espírito Santo. The initiative uses art as activism to denounce environmental crime and recover collective memories, redefining the relationship between culture, nature, and resistance.

Author Biography

  • José Cirillo, PPGA-UFES/LEENA/FAPES

    Postdoctoral Fellow in Arts from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon. Artist and Productivity Researcher PQ2 CNPQ. Coordinator (2018-present) and Permanent Professor of the Graduate Program in Arts at UFES. He develops research and projects on urban ecosystems and public art, observed through the creative process, with funding from CNPQ, CAPES, and FAPES.

References

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Published

30-06-2025

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 32 (2025)

Section

Seção Temática

License

Copyright (c) 2025 José Cirillo

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The authors of works submitted to Revista Farol authorize their publication in physical and electronic media, solely for academic purposes, and may be reproduced as long as the source is cited. They attest to their originality, authorship and originality.

How to Cite

CIRILLO, José. By the Bank: A Reflection on the Riverbanks and Love Letters to the Rio Doce. Farol, [S. l.], v. 21, n. 32, p. 233–241, 2025. DOI: 10.47456/rf.rf.2132.49279. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufes.br/farol/article/view/49279. Acesso em: 5 feb. 2026.