Entry Title: " Profound Azores"
Name: Paulo Monteiro, Portugal
Category: Non-Professional, Culture


Entry Description: Historically, the Azores islands have been affected by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. They have also been attacked by pirates. The Azorean always sought protection in the divine by practicing rituals that still exist today. As an Azorean and a photographer, it seems important to document these rituals, before they are tainted by globalization, mass tourism, or power politicians who often appropriate from popular culture as a way to get support of the people.
While this small town insists on retaining its cultural identity, I will be here to document a combination of information and aesthetics, photography and anthropology.

I was born on the 28th of June, 1963, in S. Miguel, Azores, where I currently live and work. I am a photographer since 1985. I have developed long term projects about various subjects, such as popular religiosity, profane festivities, architecture, landscape, Nature, or the world of work. My work has been displayed in Portugal an abroad.