Augusto D’arte: Affection as an Act of Resistance

At 27 years old, communicator Augusto D’arte from Santa Catarina builds a trajectory that unites art, activism, and visual narratives. A native of Rio do Sul, in the interior of Santa Catarina, he has worked in communication for over a decade with a clear purpose: to give voice to marginalized people. His photography, which began on skate ramps capturing tricks and urban movements, evolved into a powerful tool for social documentation and memory preservation.

The image “Affection and Resistance on the Esplanade“, a finalist in the Single Image category of the FotoDoc Photo Contest 2025, perfectly synthesizes his humanistic approach. Taken during the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre – ATL) 2025 in Brasília, the photograph transcends documentary record to reveal the dimension of care and unity as forms of resistance. More than capturing a moment, the image visually translates the power of the community bonds that sustain social movements, demonstrating how affection becomes a political act in contexts of struggle. The work reflects years of Augusto’s transit between art, documentary, and the recording of social mobilizations, always with a sensitivity to reveal human warmth even in situations of confrontation.

Learn more about this emblematic image and the photographer’s projects in the following interview.

How old are you? Where do you currently live and work?

I am 27 years old and I live in Rio do Sul, in the interior of Santa Catarina. I have been working in the communication field for 11 years and I consider my main mission to be giving a voice to marginalized people. Currently, my main means of work and income is audiovisual production.

Tell us about your journey in photography. When did you start photographing and why? What role does photography play in your life?

I started getting into photography during my adolescence, initially through skateboarding, recording tricks and urban movement. Over time, I started covering festivals and thus learned about popular communication, recording actions, protests, and social mobilizations. In 2015, I participated in “Emergências” in Rio de Janeiro, which was considered the largest collaborative media gathering in Latin America at the time. From there, I expanded my work to the production of short films, series, and documentaries, working as a director of photography, camera operator, and general director. Later, it expanded to product photography and photoshoots for brands and bands. For me, photography is a way to tell stories, preserve memories, and strengthen causes.

Tell us about your finalist work for the FotoDoc Photo Contest 2025. When and where was it created? What is its concept? How does it fit into your photographic practice?

“Affection and Resistance on the Esplanade” was taken in Brasília during the Free Land Camp (Acampamento Terra Livre – ATL) 2025. My intention was to highlight that resistance is also built through care and unity. This photograph fits naturally into my work, which for years has moved between art, documentary, and the recording of social movements, always seeking to translate the human warmth present even in contexts of confrontation.

What projects are you currently working on? What are your near-future plans for photographic production?

I am currently developing documentary projects and content for social networks, in addition to supporting indigenous and cafuza communities in their mobilizations and in strengthening their visual narratives. In the near future, I want to deepen my authorial work with photographic series that articulate memory, identity, and territory, exploring both physical exhibitions and independent publications. I also wish to contribute to the appreciation of photography and popular communication in the region where I live, offering training and supporting the emergence of new popular communicators.