"Como o fotógrafo artista vê os aspectos mais marcantes da cidade": Fotografia amadora e poder público na construção da imagem de Belo Horizonte em 1953

Abstract

The starting point of this article is the realization of "Primeira Exposição Fotográfica de Motivos Belorizontinos", exhibition organized in 1953 through the partnership of a collective of amateur photographers and the Municipality of Belo Horizonte. Our interest is to understand how the vision of the amateur photographer is directed to the city, what is their reach, their conditioning and of course, what images result from this association. In this regard, we need to analyse the photography in parallel to other cultural initiatives supported by the government in the period, as well if it is possible to associate the pictures with a specific political project. The discussion around the exhibition from 1953 would also approach the universe of political propaganda, the relationship between architecture, government and urban life, and questions connected to the visual culture and cultural circularity.