Project Details
Projekt
Door into the future? Debates about the transformation of Porto Maravilha (Rio de Janeiro)
Applicant
Professorin Dr. Ursula Prutsch
Subject Area
Modern and Contemporary History
European and American Literary and Cultural Studies
European and American Literary and Cultural Studies
Term
from 2018 to 2022
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 240207984
Having been historically important for a long time and shaped by slavery and colonialism, Porto Maravilha’s waterfront in Rio de Janeiro, has, since 2011, been fully revitalized through public-private partnerships. In a town, which is associated with easy exoticism, but also with delinquency and a drug economy, this zone shall create an image-improving, internationally respected display window for responsible urban ethics (with green spaces, affordable housing, clean water), which will simultaneously be fundamental for the whole nation. What is exceptional is, that for the first time, the harbor zone aims at being a space for responsible history policy, that manifests itself in cultural historical projects such as museums, memorials (slave cemetery), cultural centers, and events in the public space, and discusses the crimes of a slave economy. The processes of transformation in Porto Maravilha strive for the social inclusion of still marginalized groups of inhabitants, as it was formulated and partially enforced on a national level by the former governments of Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff (2003-16). This subproject analyzes, which politics in the architectonic-symbolical and economic transformation of this greater area were enforced in a top-down fashion and which politics resulted from negotiation processes between civil and governmental players, which kind of governance, which measures of social creativity can be identified and which ethical actors and subjects will develop within the transformation processes. On the basis of the six focus areas Living in Porto Maravilha: Ethic actors against gentrification, The slavery museum as intersection point of social creativity and collective memory, The Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Future) as vision of a new Rio, Performativity in urban space – urban space as common good, The Waterfront as well as the Cable Car – symbol of a social inclusion policy? the subproject firstly enquires about the scope of negotiation processes for civil groups, and about strategies as well as successes of oppositional actors. Secondly it enquires about the connection between acting within the principles of market economy and those of ethics, about the negotiation opportunities for moral economies specifically in an inner city zone which is going to be gentrified through “revitalization”. Thirdly the subproject asks how the displayed sensibility for urban ecology, for a future Good Life of its citizens can be applied to the historical, especially Afro-Brazilian, heritage. The subproject is a first application. It links up with the sub projects Auckland, Istanbul and Mexico City.
DFG Programme
Research Units
