Viviane Moos

ARTIST STATEMENT for VIVIANE MOOS Viviane Moos' passion is being a voice for the voiceless. She feels a responsibility to tell the stories of those who are suffering and cannot speak for themselves. The survival struggle of women and children is her central theme; sharing her subjects’ lives, earning their trust and telling their story is her mission. Twenty years ago Moos, an American photojournalist with roots in both Europe and South America, traveled to Brazil to reveal the story of an invisible and endangered underclass of society, the street children of Rio de Janeiro. This story, made possible by support from Kodak, required her to live on the dangerous and crime-ridden streets of Brazil with these young gangs for many months. Her life threatened and her health compromised, her photo story was published and she was awarded grants to continue her work. She returned to Brazil the next year where, over many months, she documented young Brazilian street girls and prostitutes surviving on the streets of Recife, a dangerous port city in the North of Brazil, known for its high unemployment and international sex- trade. This intimate story reveals the exploitation and struggle for dignity and survival against all odds.