FOTODOK’s talent program Lighthouse offers ten emerging photographers the opportunity to develop and work on new ideas accompanied by a convincing project plan. All ten of are highly motivated and share an interest in and affinity for socially urgent themes. For six months, they will be supported with knowledge by a large group of experts from the field, the FOTODOK team and each other. We are currently approaching the end of our fourth Lighthouse trajectory. Intern Robin Schaap, a student at the Reinwardt Academy, focuses her research on the further development of FOTODOK’s talent programme. For her research she interviews all participants in this edition of Lighthouse. For the fourth interview we meet Rafael Roncato, documentary photographer, editor and educator.
When and how did you find out that you liked photography?
My first influential references were cinema, music and literature, especially comics. I don’t have a story about how I fell in love with photography during childhood. However, photography was integrated and dissolved in the plasticity of the narrative of all my interests. Only later, during journalism school, I became more interested in it as an additional tool for storytelling, especially its use in magazines and other editorial formats. I was and still am fascinated by the entanglement between aesthetics and communication, so photography was also a creative tool that let me meet people and get closer to them.
Image: portait of Rafael Roncato by Will Boase.
What prompted you to do a degree in photography?
Due to journalism college, I became more interested in incorporating images into my narrative. Photography fits well with my interest in new journalism and the process of making a magazine. So, right after graduating, I decided to take a technical course in photography and another in videomaking to solidify the basis of my work. While working with text, I constantly looked for chances to ask my editors to shoot on some assignments, mainly portraits. Little by little, I gained some confidence and baggage to develop my technique and projects.
After a few years of working and understanding the media and art market at its core, it was vital to study the Master to reestablish in theory and practise what photography was for me. Whether it’s theory or practice, I’m always learning. Sometimes with more intensity due to some specific work or idea in mind or else out of sheer curiosity or obsession with a theme or topic.
How do you like it so far in the workingfield?
I’ve done a bit of everything over the last ten years. I’ve had ups and downs, but I believe many more ups. I’ve had experiences from newsrooms to museums and venturing into the freelance photographer/editor/artist life. The challenge was different in each phase, but the will to tell stories through text and images was always the compass that motivated me.
Working in the mainstream media made me rethink many vices of the profession, which brought me to the Netherlands: to study for a master’s degree and review my practice. Now it’s a new and vibrant chapter after graduating from KABK, practically starting all over again. I’m excited to be here and venturing through new horizons.
How did you join the Lighthouse programme, and what were your reasons for applying?
Fotodok’s name and prestige are established in Dutch photography and the cultural scene. I already knew about it through conversations about photobooks and exhibitions. , especially from having met KABK alums who had already participated.
I decided to join the programme because of the good comments from some friends who have already taken part and the possibility of sharing experiences with other artists from various practices. The main elements that made me commit to the program were challenging myself, networking and taking my work to the next level
How did you join the Lighthouse programme and what were your reasons for applying?
Fotodok’s name and prestige are established in Dutch photography and the cultural scene. I already knew about it through conversations about photobooks and exhibitions. , especially from having met KABK alums who had already participated.
I decided to join the programme because of the good comments from some friends who have already taken part and the possibility of sharing experiences with other artists from various practices. The main elements that made me commit to the program were challenging myself, networking and taking my work to the next level
What would you have liked to have learned during your photography study that they did not teach you?
There are so many things, hahaha — first, transparency or brutal honesty regarding our chosen profession. There’s a tendency to romanticise creative professionals that can lead to blindspots or false idealisations. The perks and downsides of the job are equally important, and sadly I only learned about them when I started working in the field. Another important lesson I never had was about workflow— what I think it’s crucial. I learned it independently, but it would have been helpful to have known efficient ways to do it earlier in my career.
Have there been moments for you when you wanted to quit? Can you describe such a moment and explain what made you want to continue.
Honestly, this idea never crossed my mind. I’ve had moments where I put my goals within photography or communication/media into perspective, but I never wanted to give up. I reconsidered many things, including ethics, politics of the work and my position as a maker, communicator, or advocate of an idea. In that sense, I am constantly questioning, reconsidering and being open to deviating from a single path for learning. Returning to school to study for my MA was a decision to refresh ideas and inspirations to reassess the trajectory and possibilities of new horizons. Truth be told, there will always be ups and downs, and we must find a good balance for each of us.
What project are you currently working on?
My current project is called Tropical Trauma Misery Tour. It is related to my master’s research on how digital populists/fascists exploit violence through network propaganda to manipulate the political game in Brazil and in other countries. I focused on a specific case from Bolsonaro’s Brazil to expose far-right manipulation tactics through disinformation.
The project’s photobook was selected in 2023 for the Fiebre Dummy Award (SPA) and Kassel Dummy Award (GER). And now, I’ve been testing new ways of exhibiting it while developing a new chapter on the entanglement of power, fascism and mass communication.
How did you come up with this idea?
Due to my background in media and working as a documentary photographer, I became interested in the whole post-truth politics debate and its consequences. At the same time, in 2015, the political crisis in Brazil was getting worse, and we saw protests mobilised by digital platforms taking to the streets. But our connectivity has also been used to manipulate and circulate false information and conspiracy theories. As anywhere in the world, the drag of a finger across the screen could change the course of democracy.
In 2018, Bolsonaro was stabbed during a presidential campaign. In a scenario of polarisation, micro-narratives and disinformation, he excelled in an online political campaign in which he had complete control over his narrative and self-presentation. He used the martyr image to gain more visibility and escape debates. And thus, he became the 38th President of Brazil, with one of the most inhumane governments. I thought that was a curious example that connected all my research
I wanted to tell the story of the farce and media opportunism of Brazilian president and far-right populist Jair Bolsonaro. We must remember that although this work is set in Brazil, this story is universal. Well-known geopolitical figures share the same grassroots tactics adapting to their countries’ cultures, insecurities and collective fears. To name a few of them: Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Jair Bolsonaro, Viktor Orbán, Thierry Baudet, Matteo Salvini, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan…
Although some have been removed from positions of authority in the last years, their beliefs, tactics and constant attempts to overthrow democracy are alive and kicking between screens, social media and propaganda disguised as memes. In a certain way, I tried to bring awareness to an important and violent subject, trying to convey a little of the anxiety of our time and looking for ways to laugh amid tragedy. In which ways can I find joy in working with an odious topic? How can humour help to deal with serious themes?
What is the biggest challenge in the project you are currently working on?
At this stage, it is crucial to spread the work as the subject of conversation and consider other, more concise methods of presenting it to the general public. Also, the audience is diverse, including Dutch and Brazilian people with different perspectives on the same subject. While the work is contextualised more carefully for non-Brazilians, some broad explanations are omitted for native Brazilians.
As the subject is current and trendy worldwide, there is undoubtedly some overlap and common ground. While there is always a need to modify the information for various situations, this overlap is a challenge that intrigues me. I can play and maintain open communication with the public by finding many formats and presentation options for the work.
How would you describe your technique and style?
I have a non-linear approach centred on a broad sense of documentary photography and mass communication. I start from a photographic image but do not necessarily only stick to it to address the connection between images, power structures and belief systems. By exploring semi-fictional and ambiguous narratives, I seek to find new stories that put the current media landscape into perspective.
I like to work with different media, focusing on photobooks and printed media as research outcomes. Materiality is central to my production, and it is a blender with various photographic approaches, Brazilian modernism, and underground comics. Part of my practice is related to assembling these disjointed associations.
What fascinates you in life? This could be anything and does not have to be related to your work as an artist.
I have a great interest in people and their creative processes. I am curious about craftsmanship and the necessary steps and choices to arrive at that final product. I like to observe human resourcefulness for both good and bad. The human mind fascinates me. The ways we (mis)communicate and express ourselves are also intriguing.
Who do you prefer to go to for advice?
My wife, parents and some close friends
Which photographer or photographers appeal to you?
I have a bag of references that only sometimes make sense, but I integrate them into my research for distinct reasons. I’m currently interested in artists who apply photography as part of artistic fruition or to convey a message or a narrative.
I have been revisiting and looking for inspiration from some Brazilian artists like the modernist painter Tarsila do Amaral. The list of contemporaries is also long, with Antonio Dias, Regina Silveira, Beto Shwafaty, Rivane Neuenschwander, Maxwell Alexandre, Jonathas de Andrade and Barbara Wagner. And, of course, always keeping an eye on the production of inspiring friends like Rafael Coutinho and Mateus Acioli.
And since I arrived in the Netherlands, I’ve been blown away by the works of Metahaven, Jaya Pelupessy and Paul Kooiker. They are recent inspirations that I want to keep following closely.
Ultimately, what is your dream?
I dream of continuing working with photography as a maker and as an editor/curator but dedicating myself to long-term projects and books. I’m still interested in being a full-time photographer, but without the rush of deadlines. I have this urgency to take on multiple projects that stem from the pleasure of making them, so I can’t see myself stopping any creative interests.
Now on a collective level, how can we encourage artists, projects and share knowledge through producing and questioning art? I have been testing some ways with the co-creation of Cartography Digest (a duo with Dafni Melidou), as much as sharing Latin American publications with Havaiana Papers. We want to bring new stories and perspectives on our visual culture related to contemporary societal issues.
What are your future goals?
Coming to live in the Netherlands and studying for a Master’s degree were past goals that now need to be updated. Having my most recent work shortlisted for the Fiebre and Kassel Dummy Awards was also a goal. I want to finish some books I have in mind, continue networking, and improve my career as a maker, editor and curator. Travelling a lot, it’s also in mind for sure. Now that I’m based in Europe, I’d like to tour more and meet new people, other cultures and experiences that always enrich the journey. Now with the end of the
Masters and the Lighthouse programme, it is time to redraw some paths. I’m excited about what’s to come next
Complete the sentence, photography is…….
an ingenious tool for telling extraordinary stories
Images: Rafael Roncato
