A antiga fábrica da Bhering: novos usos do espaço e manifestações artísticas na Zona Portuária do Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

It was throughout the year of 2012 when I saw myself developing a great deal of interest in researching the "old Bhering factory" with the intention of writing my master's degree final paper. At that point, between July and September of 2012, many news headlined the local media focusing on a series of conflicts to which the factory served as a center stage. It all began when it was announced that the building, located in the port area of Santo Cristo in Rio de Janeiro, was in debt with the federal government and therefore had been auctioned the year before and had been sold to a business company from Teresópolis. The building had been leased for a few years to a group of approximately 80 artists and businessmen who had then received an eviction order. From that moment a conflict was established between the family that purchased the building, the local authorities and the group of people who was using that location. By analyzing the changes that occurred in those relationships in that critical moment, I performed a field research between July of 2012 and December of 2013 with the group known as "Bhering artists". The intention of understanding the changes that occurred in the relationships established beyond the beginning of this crisis, taking in account the reactions of the tenant, tensions, conflicts, alliances and strategies which were created in order to continue their occupation of the premises.