“Sir, don’t worry—that figure you see there is just a puppet.”
This is how the Military Police reassured the public about the “Trampolim” urban art installation, which has been on display on several bridges crossing the polluted Pinheiros River since September 19—World Water Cleanup Day.
The installation, consisting of realistic figures positioned at the ends of blue planks, was intended to highlight the impossibility of diving or swimming in the Pinheiros River due to its contamination.
The city’s response was immediate: 300 calls to the Fire Department, selfies, and a large number of social media posts and spontaneous media coverage. One of the sculptures was shot with a revolver, and another had its head severed. All of these alterations were incorporated into the artwork.
The artwork was part of the exhibition *As Margens do Rio Pinheiros* and included an educational program for school groups in partnership with the Águas Claras do Rio Pinheiros Association, an NGO dedicated to raising awareness and restoring the Pinheiros River watershed.
Video produced by Kana Filmes
Sculptures and artistic painting various dimensions
Photo: Kana Filmes
Photo: Kana Filmes
