Biography

As an undergraduate studying Visual Arts at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, I developed an interest in the relationship between politics and aesthetics, and how it visually manifests in symbolic places of power such as money. I started researching "oficial" banknotes, when I came across community currencies and became immediately fascinated by them – resulting in my masters dissertation. Brazil has over 100 different community banks, and is a unique case study in the subject, as social money has been a public policy for the development of low-income territories since 2003. Due to COVID-19, the capacity and potential of these local self-managed organizations have shown to be efficient in protecting communities through a cycle of solidarity that strengthens them – and their economy – as a whole. Therefore, for my PhD in Latin American Studies at Cambridge, I intend to expand my previous work, further understanding how these currencies impact their communities by shifting ideas of value, power, democracy and citizenship. More so, I aim to identify what methodologies ensure long-term success, in order to help expand this plural, horizontal and collaborative network that has formed in favor of a more just economic system.

Previous Education

Federal University of Minas Gerais Mphil, Art 2018
Federal University of Minas Gerais BA, Visual Arts 2012
Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais BA, Journalism 2008