ACAMJG
Encyclopedia
Associação dos Catadores do Aterro Metropolitano de Jardim Gramacho (Association of Collectors of the Metropolitan Landfill of Jardim Gramacho) is an organization of "pickers" who sort through garbage finding recyclables as a means of survival. The association is led by president Tião Santos, and based in the landfill
Jardim Gramacho, outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its members are paid in exchange for the recyclables that they collect, sort, and trade. The Jardim Gramacho landfill has one of the highest rates of recycling due to the entire economy generated by the association.
More recently, the ACAMJG has gained more attention, due to the documentary Waste Land
, exposing a community and art project led by artist Vik Muniz
. The documentary highlights Muniz' two-year visit to Jardim Gramacho, where he collected recyclables with the ACAMJG and, with their help, photographed works made entirely of recyclables. The photographs were both sold to exhibits and also auctioned, for a total of $300,000 US, all donated to the association.
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
Jardim Gramacho, outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its members are paid in exchange for the recyclables that they collect, sort, and trade. The Jardim Gramacho landfill has one of the highest rates of recycling due to the entire economy generated by the association.
More recently, the ACAMJG has gained more attention, due to the documentary Waste Land
Waste Land (film)
Waste Land is a 2010 documentary directed by Lucy Walker, João Jardim and Karen Harley. The film documents two years of work of Brazilian contemporary modern artist Vik Muniz in creating art with the cooperation of scavengers of recyclables working at Jardim Gramacho, one of the world's largest...
, exposing a community and art project led by artist Vik Muniz
Vik Muniz
Vicente José de Oliveira Muniz, known as Vik Muniz , is a visual artist living in New York City.-Early career:Muniz began his career as a sculptor in the late 1980s after relocating from Brazil to Chicago and later to New York. His early work grew out of a post-Fluxus aesthetic and often involved...
. The documentary highlights Muniz' two-year visit to Jardim Gramacho, where he collected recyclables with the ACAMJG and, with their help, photographed works made entirely of recyclables. The photographs were both sold to exhibits and also auctioned, for a total of $300,000 US, all donated to the association.