Since September 16, the city of São Paulo has had an itinerant exhibition about the polluted Tietê River. The inflatable work over 30 meters long will sail along the entire length of the capital's main river, as a warning to society about the current water degradation and the need to recover this important urban element of São Paulo, which could be integrated into everyday life as a space for urban mobility. The exhibition is supported by 99 technology, through the Cultural Projects Support Program (Pro-Mac) and the Department of Water and Power (DAEE).

The intervention is composed by a sculpture in the shape of a freshwater fish of the "Pintado" species that used to live in the region before the water contamination. According to the artist, the exhibition will symbolize the Spawning phenomenon, which in the Tupi language means "rise of the fish", when the fish swim against the current to perpetuate the species.

"The Tietê River rises 20 km into the Atlantic Ocean, but flows inland and was fundamental for the Indians and Bandeirantes, as well as in the formation of the city of São Paulo itself. The "Pintado" will remind us of the lost colours and shapes of the real Tietê and also of a future with more oxygen. That is why its huge open mouth wants to breathe".

Srur tells that he was impressed when he discovered, during the week when the work was being assembled with the river dredging workers, that there is still a species of fish similar to the Pintado that inhabits the Tietê in the capital. "When they showed the photo of the fish, I had a mixture of sadness and hope; of seeing the struggle for life and the strength of nature in any circumstances. We, Paulistanos, are just like this fish".

On September 19th, at Ponte das Bandeiras, the intervention participated in the disclosure of the annual report of water quality promoted by SOS Fundação Mata Atlântica when it was found a worsening in the results.

In the last week of the exhibition, when the Tietê River Day is celebrated, Srur thinks of sailing along with the work. The idea is to provoke reflection, also pertinent, on the mobility within the river. "The Tietê River is navigable and this would bring integration with the city's daily life. I suspect that the Pintado will arrive sooner at its destination than thousands of drivers stuck in the traffic on the marginal roads."

Informative:

Urban Intervention "Pintado
Date: 16 to 30 September 2019
Rio Tietê, São Paulo
Free and open event