Art to Rescue Sao Paulo River

Sunday, 30 March 2008 01:06

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - The Tieté River, which crosses the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo and which suffers great contamination, has seen its image revitalized thanks to an artistic makeover consisting of 20 enormous and colorful plastic bottles installed at the shore.

This river, which in the past served as the base for an economic push, does not live its best moment due to the pollution. The river does not carry as much water and is overlooked by most people. For the 18.5 million people who live in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region, "it's a time bomb that could explode any moment," says Maria Luisa Ribeiro, coordinator of the Waters Network, an initiative of the local environmental group SOS Mata Atlántica Foundation to promote communication and social participation in national water management.

At their maximum capacity, the eight systems that supply Sao Paulo handle 65,000 liters of water per second. The population relies on "the good will of San Pedro", the god of rains for the people of Brazil, Ribeiro told Tierramérica.

For many years, the different neighborhoods shut down waterworks on alternate days. This rationing, which lasted until 2002, came to an end thanks to an adjustment in distribution and to greater rainfall, but "without expanding the availability of water," said the activist.

The city of Sao Paulo was founded in a location with limited water resources, at the head of the Tieté River, which crosses Sao Paulo state. Later, deforestation and housing along the river's banks limited its capacity, and continues to be encroached by illegal settlements.

The river front installation was made by Eduardo Srur and it will be on view until May 25. The installation is part of the Quase líquido (Almost Liquid) exhibit which opened on wednesday at a cultural center that a finance company has in Sao Paulo. The exhibit gathers 22 works of art made by 14 artists and is centered around the themes of social exclusion, the river pollution and insecurity.