Ouro Preto, materialities and spatialities of its landscape

Abstract

Since the beginning of the process of occupation of its territory, the built heritage and the urban landscape of the city of Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais, Brazil), has undergone several changes. At first, during Portuguese colonization, this landscape was guided by the exploration of the soil in search of ores and characterized by aspects of the baroque. A second moment of urban conformation concerns the period of national modernization and appreciation of heritage. In the contemporary context, the materiality of this landscape is shaped by two aspects: due to neoliberal urbanism, the touristification of the territory by the association of the tourism industry with the cultural industry; simultaneously, the residents’ search for survival in the urban space through informal occupations. In this sense, this work, based on a particular understanding of the notion of landscape, proposes a look at urban landscapes built along the exploration of Ouro Preto’s territory, focusing on materiality, uses and appropriations.