Since the beginning of the pandemic, educator Camila Regina and cartographer Henrique Lima have noticed a significant increase in kites in the skies over Rio de Janeiro's peripheral neighborhoods. These colorful paper diamonds and deltoids are guided by the hands of children and adults who cannot leave their homes, but can go up to their rooftops to fly kites.
Inspired by this reclaiming of the skies and their own histories with kites, the two kite flyers founded Pipasgrafias, a multimedia project about the activity. Video, text, and illustrated stories—along with an interactive map—portray what it is like to fly a kite in Rio's various peripheral neighborhoods.
“Pipasgrafias is a celebration of an art form and pastime that is often marginalized because it is produced in peripheral areas and favelas,” says Camila. “By highlighting the central role of kite flyers and their popular wisdom, we show that people are producing art and memory all the time.”
According to writer Luiz Antonio Simas in his book “O Corpo Encantado das Ruas,” the kite is a Chinese invention. In Brazil, its name changes depending on its shape and the sky where it is flown, going by raia, suru, papagaio, and capucheta. These “toys to fable the skies and challenge the clouds,” as the historian calls them, along with the practice of flying them, were declared intangible cultural heritage of Rio de Janeiro in 2018.
Kites and the City
“When I was five years old, I started flying kites and fell in love with those moments,” kite flyer Wallace Silva tells Pipasgrafias. “I made many friends through kites. There were days when I wouldn't show up at home for hours because I was running after kites so much.”
Going up to the rooftop, looking for an open space in the sky away from power lines, waiting for the best wind to launch the kite. Flying a kite is an activity that depends on the street—and how it was built—to happen.
The way people fly kites varies depending on the territory, as Camila explains: “In a favela like Rocinha, which has a hillside structure, you see children and adults flying kites on rooftops because the streets are too narrow for it. In the Baixada Fluminense, which is flatter, there is a lot of kite flying in vacant lots.”
Kite Therapy
It is common to see adult kite flyers on their rooftops, flying and catching kites for hours on end. This pastime spills over from childhood into adulthood. “It seems like the kite becomes an extension of the person, and playing, joking around, and healthy competitions among kite flyers turn into a kind of therapy,” Henrique observes.
For Camila, the power of this play, which refuses to fade even in times of pandemic, is a demonstration of the life drive in territories that are often only remembered for their vulnerabilities:
Via Portal Aprendiz.
This article was written by Cecília Garcia. The translation is powered by AI.
