Rio Baile Funk #002, 2012

Vincent Rosenblatt  

Rio Baile Funk #002,  Rio de Janeiro 2012. Fine Art print on baryta paper, edition 2/8.

This compelling artwork captures a dynamic scene against the iconic backdrop of the Lapa Arches in Rio de Janeiro. A young man, poised with intensity, stands atop a massive stack of speakers. His determined posture contrasts with the looming storm clouds, suggesting a story of resilience and cultural vibrancy. The monochromatic palette enhances the drama, highlighting the architectural grandeur of the arches and the detailed textures of the speakers. This vivid composition blends urban life with historical significance, emphasizing themes of sound and energy amidst timeless architecture. The piece uniquely marries elements of modern culture and historical landmarks, encapsulating the essence of Rio's dynamic street life and baile funk scene & traditional sound systems.

This photograph is part of the “Funk! Um grito de ousadia & liberdade" exhibition at the Museu da Lingua Portuguesa in São Paulo, until the 30th of August 2026.

"Carioca funk is a kaleidoscope of rhythms, rituals, territories, and identities.
My photographs attempt to capture collective movements, individual impulses, and bodily
details: the bodies of the funkeiros as living manifestos of freedom.
Since 2005, I have sought to preserve the fragile memory of these gatherings, to depict the
energy, gestures, and desires of a particular youth in Rio de Janeiro at the beginning of the 21st century. Drawn irresistibly by the beats booming from giant speaker walls and the rawness of lyrics that shake, at every baile, the foundations of social propriety and the illusion of a Brazilian racial democracy, I discovered another Rio.
Very quickly, DJs, MCs, and dancers took me deeper and deeper into their favelas and
peripheral neighborhoods—where funk is created and danced.
The funkeiros shared with me both the responsibility and the risk of producing images of places “forbidden” from representation, stigmatized by certain media outlets and constantly under threat of prohibition. They knew that the most beautiful bailes were destined for repression and destruction, and that this fleeting beauty needed to be documented.
In recent years, in a climate of latent bans on favela bailes, a generation of young producers has reinvented Rio's nightlife. In popular clubs, “Black parties” have amplified the funk carioca
revolution: the celebration of identity and diversity without discrimination creates, for the span
of a night, safe space-times in which to live and dream".

This photograph is part of the “Funk! Um grito de ousadia & liberdade" exhibition at the Museu da Lingua Portuguesa in São Paulo, until the 30th of August 2026.

Personal exhibitions:

- Galerie Salon H, Paris, 2025

- Tropisme, Montpellier, 2025

- Galerie Pierre Passebon /Galerie du Passage, Paris, 2022
- Alliance Française - Rio de Janeiro, 2022
- Galeria da Gavea - Rio de Janeiro, 2020
- Centro Cultural Internacional of Panama City, 2019
- SESC Madureira in Rio de Janeiro, 2016
- SESC Madureira in Rio de Janeiro, 2016
- CACP - Vila Pérochon in Niort, France, 2015
- Alliance Française - Rio de Janeiro, 2014

- MEP (European House of Photography), Paris, 2011

Collective exhibition:
- "Funk! Um grito de liberdade e ousadia", Museu da Lingua Portuguesa, 2026
- "Clubbing", Grand-Palais Immersif, Paris, 2025
- "Funk! Un cri de liberté", Maison Folie Wazemmes, Lilles, France 2025
- "Funk! Um grito de liberdade e ousadia", Rio de Janeiro Art Museum (MAR), 2024
- “Dance and music", Galerie du Jour, Fondation Agnès B, Paris, 2023
- “Electro" - Philarmonie de Paris, 2019
- Historias Afro-Atlanticas - MASP (Museu de Arte de São Paulo), 2018
- “Designing Club Culture 1960-Today" - Vitra Design Museum, Germany 2018
- “Rio, a peace of France" MAR (Rio Art Museum), 2015
- "Made by Brazilians, feito por brasileiros", Cidade Matarazzo, São Paulo, 2014.