pensar o lugar pelas pessoas
graphic design | photo
gr
Through the photos, interviews and mapping, we seek to study the life stories that run through and describe the train station, understanding that the place is built by people. The graphic design, layout, photography, writing and maps were done by the group.
You can learn more below and access the entire publication here.
Through this publication, we aim to understand the station as a living entity—living infrastructure—by exploring the stories found within the space: the merchants who define and create the narratives of this transit hub. In this context, the work focuses on studying the stories—both ordinary, everyday tales and the life trajectories—of the merchants in the immediate vicinity of the CPTM Campo Limpo Paulista station. This approach offers an inevitably partial way of understanding the dynamics present in the space. We recognize that the stations in São Paulo, both train and subway, represent focal points for public policies and urban projects within metropolitan areas. Therefore, we view these spaces as meeting points, nodes, confluences, and intersections of stories from countless regions of the state, fragments of distant cities united within a single territory.
This work is presented through transcribed and edited interviews, route maps, and photographs that document each story studied. The images follow a method that includes three or four photos, offering a portrait of each subject in their workplace. One photo shows the interior of the space, and another captures the facade of the location. These images were taken in analog format, using 35mm film, which adds sensitivity to the study. Photography, when captured in this format, requires more care and attention, thus making the process more deliberate. The way we recorded the images brought us closer to these individuals. Beyond the interviews, we formed connections with them, creating bonds. Susceptible to the uncertainties of film, we frequently traveled back and forth from the São Paulo countryside, photographing and “rephotographing,” engaging in numerous conversations to build trust and ensure the quality of our interactions. The texts provide a narrative to accompany the photographs, offering direct insight into the subjects' stories. At the same time, the maps illustrate the routes these individuals take each day, from their homes to their workplaces. The individual maps are combined, creating an overall view of the origins of the merchants connected to the CPTM Campo Limpo Paulista station, helping us understand where these people come from and how they travel to reach this space.
The publication is presented in a file-type format, designed to bring the reader closer to the research through a physical and malleable material. The ability to open, fold, and move the sheets facilitates the comparison, analysis, and appreciation of the stories. This design shortens the distance between the subjects studied and the person engaging with the material.
This work was created by Laila Klajmic, Guilherme Pace, Ana Riley, and Julio Talib, with guidance from Thiago Benucci and Hugo Rossini.