In the heart of Brasília, where economic decisions and financial flows circulate, there are stories that rarely gain visibility.
Faces is born from this contrast.
About the project
In the heart of Brasília, where economic decisions and financial flows circulate, there are stories that rarely gain visibility. Faces was born from this contrast.
The project brings together eleven portraits of people who live (or have lived) in situations of vulnerability in the Setor Comercial Sul, one of the most central areas of the city. They are men and women, cis and trans, who share a common experience: the use of a communal restroom that, more than a basic service, has become a space for care, coexistence, and the rebuilding of dignity.
Created and renovated during the COVID-19 pandemic as an emergency response to the public health crisis, the facility provides showers, drinking water, and minimum conditions of hygiene for those who do not have access to these basic rights.
It is within this context that Faces establishes itself as a platform for listening and visibility.
More than observing, Faces proposes a shift: it is not only about seeing, but about recognizing oneself in the other.
About the community bathroom
On May 13, 2025, the communal restroom in the Setor Comercial Sul marks five years of operation, providing basic sanitation to those who pass through central Brasília. After being closed for 20 years, it was reopened during the pandemic and now serves around one thousand people per week.
In 2021, the initiative was presented at the Stockholm World Water Week as a social technology ensuring sanitation for people who lack access to this basic right—many of whom are not even included in official census data. In 2023, the restroom was one of the projects featured at the 8th International Festival of Urban Interventions in Rio de Janeiro.
The director-general of Instituto No Setor, Rafael Reis, highlighted that “the space is a transformative and innovative tool, and shows that we can think in terms of long-term collective solutions.”
Adopted through the “Adopt a Square” program, the facility operates collectively: the renovation was carried out by two businesswomen from the Setor Comercial Sul, water and electricity are provided by the Plano Piloto Administration, and management is handled by No Setor with donations from civil society.
No Setor accepts donations of cleaning supplies and financial contributions. The group maintains a page on the Benfeitoria platform and also receives one-time donations via pix@nosetor.com.br.
Credits
Ana Maria Albuquerque, Andreia Capi, Bruna Duarte Santos, Jerusa Campos dos Santos, João Bosco de Queiroz, José da Cruz Evaristo da Silva, José Salustiano Batista Paes, Layla Rosas Hauradou, Leonardo Soares de Abreu, Luiz Felipe Medeiros Silva, Marcelo Barbosa, Marcelo Feijó, Paulo Henrique Silva dos Santos, Rafael Reis, Silfany Rodrigues Freitas, Valdenor Rodrigues de Lisboa.
Credits
Photography and Sound Design Ana Lima
Creative Direction Ana Lima and Pedro Matallo Executive Production Tatá Agostinho
Social Worker Julia Valladão
Production Sofia Gomes
Community Facilitator José Salustiano Paes
Installation Manuel Oliveira
Proofreading Bruno Borges
Assistants Kaique de Castro and Ynã Omokun
Ana Lima
Photographer
With over 30 years of experience, Ana Lima holds a degree in Social Communication from the University of Brasília (UnB) and has built a career spanning fashion, beauty, and food photography. She also works in the audiovisual field as a director and photographer.
