Ricardo Rosas

My dear friend Ricardo Rosas died on April 11 in Fortaleza.

Many times have I wondered what we remember of those who passed away. Often it is a small detail. Ricardo's biography says-

Ricardo Rosas (BR) editor of the Rizoma e-magazine and a former member of the Midiatatica.org network. Rosas helped organize the Mídia Tática Brasil 2003 and the Digitofagia 2004 festivals in São Paulo, both of them aimed at discussing the tactical media scene, free software, and the creation of collaborative projects in art and activism involving new media. Rosas was the Net Art curator of the Prog: Me festival, in Rio de Janeiro (2005); and a lecturer at the fourth edition of the Next 5 Minutes festival, in Amsterdam (2003), the first international event dedicated to the mapping of tactical media. He also participated in the Super Demo Digital festival in Rio de Janeiro (2004); in the Networks, Arts, a Collaboration conference at the State University of New York, in Buffalo (2004); and in the 15th Videobrasil International Electronic Art Festival. Rizoma, his edited website on arts and activism is currently taking part on the Documenta project of publications for the Documenta 2007.

For me, -- Ricardo -- I loved that guy. I admired him. He came to Buffalo for the Free Cooperation conference in 2004 where he talked about the AutoLabs. I experienced him as earnest, curious, ambitious, respectful, and thoughtful.

We stayed with him (and his boyfriend) in his apartment in São Paolo. We went to FILE. During the day he worked as a customs official. This job, however, was just about the office printer, which he used to get his hands on essays that he found online -- on Rhizome, the iDC, or Nettime. Anything. American or European books were too expensive. I much admired his scholarly dedication and insatiable curiosity; he inhaled media theory.

I remember opening the massive wooden closet in his bare São Paolo apartment-- it was filled from top to bottom with piles of printed essays. He was fire and flames for tactical media, Buddhism, and net art.  And he was constantly on a new diet (melon juice for lunch) and always pumping iron.

I really appreciated him deeply for his enthusiasm, his amazing work with the AutoLabs, his thoughtful writings, and valuable translations. In the metropolis of São Paolo we would sit in a cafe and he'd point to an older man in a wool jacket sitting not too far from us." This person has translated a really important book from English into Portuguese." I understood Ricardo as a cultural bridge builder.

He wrote me a passionate email from the fifth World Social Forum 2005 in Porto Alegre-- saying how much I would have liked it there-- all those spirited radio activists.

He taught me about Açaí. Late at night he pulled me into a corner bistro and I had to try it. It was also him who told me about Gilberto Gil, the telecentros, and open source in his country. He did not hold back with horror stories about plastic surgery and all the military dictatorships that made Brazil suffer. His heart was beating for the dream of a new media center smack in the middle of his Sao Paolo.
 
I met him again, just briefly, in Rio de Janeiro in 2005 at ProgMe. Now, I listen to his voice, his lecture for the Share Widely conference in 2005. I miss him. I loved that guy. He was like a brother, a comrade, a kindred spirit to me. Thanks, Ricardo.

Update on April 25, 2007 at 09:48 by [Trebor]

Lucas Bambozzi just posted this to nettime: 

This is sad news for us Brazilians and friends of Ricardo Rosas. He passed away on the 11th of April, in Fortaleza, where he was born. It was a shock for most of his friends, like me, as the recent lack of news about him unfortunately came followed by such cheerless information.

As far as I know, many participants of this lists [such as Brian Holmes, David Garcia, Felix Stalder, Geert Lovink, Trebor Scholz, Derek Holzer and other ones] were aware about his consistent contributions regarding the dissemination of critical ideas around new media, always raising political concerns embedded on new technologies.

Ricardo was moderator of nettime-br [actually an enthusiast of such nettime version], editor of the electronic magazine Rizoma [www.rizoma.net - currently off-line] and member of the Midiatatica.org network. He participated actively
in the organization of the MÌdia T·tica Brasil, in 2003, a key event in S„o Paulo where many groups were able to meet, discuss and see that some spare initiatives could be better understood as a movement aiming 'tactical' actions, opposing hegemonic media, questioning the art system, etc.

I got to better know him personally by this occasion, as I was in a consultant condition that helped to convince Casa das Rosas, a cultural institution, to host this Midia Tatica event. We then joined forces for the organization of
Digitofagia at MIS in 2004 [in which participated Ricardo M. ZuÒiga, Felix Stalder and others] and for writing articles such as the Urgency, describing the context of art collectives dealing with urban concerns, for a special issue of Parachute Magazine. Many other collaborations followed this one, as true collaboration was one of his most foremost qualities. Differently from others that would speech in the name of openness merely as a strategy, Rosas really worked to
widen the access to open knowledge and open practices.

He was currently taking part on the Documenta's publication project for the Documenta 2007 and was about to publish 'Net Cultura', a book commissioned by Waag-Sarai, co-organized by Giseli Vasconcelos -- another key person on free
culture in Brazil.

Well, sorry for such a personal approach for contextualizing his contributions. I speak in the name of others: we will all miss Ricardo Rosas.

Best,

L.

I have collected some spare URLs [sorry, some of
them are only available in Portuguese]:

http://tinyurl.com/2233fj [really fresh hommage by Trebor Scholz]
http://www.rizoma.net [off line for the moment]
http://midiatatica.org
http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-br-0609/msg00001.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1913/is_200410/ai_n6493511
http://forumpermanente.incubadora.fapesp.br/portal/.convidados/ricardorosas/
http://www.sescsp.org.br/sesc/videobrasil/up/arquivos/200611/20061117_160212_CadernoVB02_p.36-53_P.pdf
http://www.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2007/04/380125.shtml
 

Update on April 25, 2007 at 18:00 by [Trebor]

Brian Holmes on nettime

It is truly sad news to learn of Ricardo Rosas' untimely death. Ricardo was so unusual, a selfless person full of enthusiasm and originality, constantly producing texts and then increasingly, events, but modestly, with what seemed to be only a concern for the possible participation of others, and for opening up democratic and popular spaces in Brazilian media culture. I remember going far out to the edge of Sao Paulo where he had worked to helped organize tactical media labs, the so-called "autolabs," that crossed class lines. Immediately he had introduced me to everyone, while the local teenagers involved were getting ready to do a video of their workshops on safe sex! I think we met each time I was in Brazil and a couple times abroad as well, but for some reason the time I remember is walking through Sao Paolo at night after some kind of event at one of the SESCs, late night, quiet city, air the temperature of your skin, Ricardo talking purposefully and with curiosity and with that steady, autonomous, critical reserve he had, a sense that many things might have been done in other times and places, but that the results would be a lot clearer when they were done right here and now. And then he disappeared into the metro.

Ricardo, thanks for the feeling of welcome that you brought to the world.

Brian Holmes

 ==

David Garcia on nettime:

I heard just yesterday upsetting (given his youth the shocking) news of Ricardo's death.

I came to know Ricardo first through reading and admiring his writing. His texts (I refuse to say was) are so valuable because they offer a window into vibrant world of Brazilian free media activism. They are illuminating precisely because he refuses to buy into the hype of the revolutionary 'open source Brazil' that is maybe still fashionable. The writing is critical but without rancor his observations always diffused the observed through a sensibility which is simultaneously gentle and rigorous, affectionate and skeptical.

But because his critique is delivered not in text alone but by practicing alternatives it is able to show the particular power and potential of Brazilian media activism. My encounter with this aspect of Ricardo's work came from the piece which Brian Holmes describes earlier in this thread. The Autolabs project in which he was part of a team and a passionate advocate. Worked actively mentoring teen agers in free media practice in the poor districts of Sao Paulo The power of the Autolabs project is that embodied everything which the state sponsored Telecenters claimed to be but in Ricardo's view were not. I know he did many other things which have been identified by Lucas Bambozzi and I am sure there is much more that will emerge but these are my memories

While I stayed in Sao Paulo Ricardo (and others in the team) gave me so much in terms of hospitality, warmth and education, changing the way I saw many things.

As Ricardo is no longer here in person nettime (I hope he might agree) is as good a place as anywhere to say goodbye.

David Garcia

Update on April 25, 2007 at 18:03 by [Trebor]

Felix Stalder on nettime: 

This is very sad news, indeed. As Trebor Scholz wrote Ricardo Rosas saw and established connections where few people could perceive them, let alone could make them work. Yet, once he pointed them out and set out to bring them into the world, they were natural. He introduced a lot of people, including myself, to Brazil and to a world of ideas, cosmoplitan and uniquely personal at the same time. He did so in the most humane way possible, by having long conversations, zig-zaging through Sao Paolo, disappearing and turing up again with more people, more connections, more things to do. I was always convinced our paths would cross again, there would be plenty of time for more drinks, walks, and conversations. It would have been the most natural thing in the world. Now it won't be.

Felix 

Update on April 26, 2007 at 12:12 by [Trebor]

Sergio Bassbaum on idc list:

Dear all,

Articles by Ricardo Rosas available on the web.

----- Mensagem encaminhada de Marcelo Ter=E7a-Nada! <nada@uai.com.br> -----
    Data: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:47:32 -0300
      De: Marcelo Ter=E7a-Nada! <nada@uai.com.br>
Reponder para: digitofagia@lists.riseup.net
 Assunto: [digitofagia] Textos Ricardo Rosas
    Para: digitofagia@lists.riseup.net

Oi pessoal,
Fiz uma pequena colet=E2nea de textos e publica=E7=F5es do Ricardo Rosas que est=E3o dispon=EDveis na web, se algu=E9m tiver outros links para acrescentar, por gentileza me enviem:

=BB Gambiarra: alguns pontos para se pensar uma tecnologiarecombinante (PDF) - Caderno VideoBrasil

http://www.sescsp. org.br/sesc/ videobrasil/ up/arquivos/200611/20061117_ 160212_CadernoVB 02_p.36-53_ P.pdf

=BB Nome: coletivos | Senha: colabora=E7=E3o - FILE / Sabotagem
http://www.sabotagem.revolt.org/node/190 Notas sobre o coletivismo art=EDstico no Brasil -Tr=F3pico/UOL

http://p.php.uol.com.br/tropico/html/textos/2578,1.shl
Hibridismo Coletivo no Brasil: Transversalidade ouCoopta=E7=E3o? - F=F3rum Permanente/Fapesp

http://forumpermanente.incubadora.fapesp.br/portal/.event_pres/simp_sem/pad=-ped0/documentacao-f/mesa_01/mesa1_ricardo_rosas

Alguns coment=E1rios sobre Arte e Pol=EDtica - CanalContempor=E2neo

http://www.canalcontemporaneo.art.br/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3D160highlight=3D#160 (broken)
Hacklabs, do digital ao anal=F3gico (tradu=E7=E3o) - Suburbia

http://www.galizalivre.org/index.php?option=3Dcom_content&amp;task=3Dview&a=mp;id=3D613&amp;Itemid=3D48 (broken)

The Revenge of Lowtech : Autolabs, Telecentros and
Tactical Media in Sao Paulo (PDF) - Sarai.net
http://www.sarai.net/publications/readers/04-crisis-media/55ricardo.pdf


Abra=E7os,
Marcelo
 

Update on April 26, 2007 at 16:11 by [Trebor]

from Sergio Bassbaum (Sao Paolo):

To pay this kind of hommage to a guy like Ricardo is such a difficult task. One don't want to talk to much; one feels like he cannot keep silent. Noiseless noise, indeed. If I was to say that Ricardo was a close friend of mine, I wouldn't neither be true, nor respectfull to those who were really close to him. We met a few times, but each of them was a friendly, respectfull, lively and generous in the exchanging of ideas. He was always interested in new approaches on this new media puzzles, commited to fostering positive and critical thinking, commited to understanding and improving life in our techno-ilogical societies. All my memories of him are like that -- of a sweet and very inteligent guy who was very much interested in thinking, building and sharing. Many times, people's response to his initiatives couldn't reach the same commitment, the same clarity, the same egoless amazing involvement with life. True, I didn`t have the priviledge of sharing more time with him; true that I,feel we'll really miss him -- his sweetness, his awereness, his interest, his way of making things happen, his unique presence. You left the game too early, Ricardo. But you also have done a great job.

best vibes

S.