Technologically Human: photographic manipulation as sensory amplification

Abstract

Several papers in Dossiê 22 address graduates and students from the Centro Acadêmico do Agreste (Federal University of Pernambuco) in Caruaru. As Professor Charles Leite noted in his interview with this Dossiê, the campus will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2026. In recognition of this vital academic center in the interior of Pernambuco –and as a tribute to the Federal Government's policies expanding higher education into the country's interior –we aim to showcase a success story from the CAA. Such transformative experiences are undoubtedly mirrored, in various forms, across federal educational institutions throughout the vast interior of Brazil. To illustrate this, we examine the artistic journey of a Social Communication student who, like so many of us, found himself confined at home during the pandemic. Alongside his daily routines, he began to create by overlaying images onto a photograph displayed on his computer screen. Gradually shedding social constraints, he began working with images of his own naked body, integrating them into everyday objects. With his emotions raw and exposed due to social isolation, he transformed his anxiety and despair into images juxtaposed with or fused into his own physical form, mediated by digital manipulation. Upon returning to campus, he turned this creative experimentation into a rigorous academic pursuit. He deeply researched the history of photography, the artistic movements that elevated this visual language, and the works of creators who used their own bodies as canvas and clay. This research culminated in a Final Graduation Paper detailing his creative and production processes. Following his successful defense, he began giving interviews and school lectures about his “art”. Today, his work circulates across prestigious art circuits, earning awards and widespread invitations to exhibit his pieces. Although Rafael's initial creative spark was triggered by social isolation, the core phenomenon highlighted here is the life-changing power inherent in universities. Without the expansion of higher education into the interior, countless brilliant minds (curious, innovative, experimental, passionate, entrepreneurial, restless, inspiring, investigative etc.) would never stand a chance in our highly competitive world. Their voices would remain stifled, restricted to major metropolitan hubs. Therefore, recognizing the relevance of this Dossiê on tradition and innovation in education, we honor all those who brave the challenges of meeting the social demands of their professional fields. They connect students to opportunities that awaken deep potential and the drive to create, ultimately fostering a deeper understanding of humanity and building a better world – not just for future generations, but for those who are here with us today.