Rio de Janeiro: carioca paradiso

Rio loves to party, Rio loves to dance, Rio loves to invent. From this legendary creativity, the "wonderful city"has turned it into a real economic force. The Brazilian metropolis is now one of the leading centres for the local creative industry. Nearly 110,000 active workers have been identified in sectors linked to the modeat designat cinematheart or to theatre. "Historically, it is the presence of the media and major press organs such as the Globo Group which really propelled the carioca creativityexplains Marcelo Haddaddirector of Rio Negociosthe city's investment promotion agency. But there are other converging reasons why Rio is a hotbed of activity: the diversity of the population, open-mindedness, a sense of risk-taking and, above all, a festive environment that's very much into 'old-fashioned' social networking. We know each other, we talk to each other, we connect with each other."

POWERFUL PATRONS

First taken over by the Portuguese elite in the 17th century, the town that was the capital of Brazil until 1960 and the inauguration of Brasiliaseems to have preserved its long artistic and cultural tradition. Today, its patrons are no longer the aristocrats of Old Europe, but the big names in telecommunications such as Oiknown for its support of contemporary art, and also, of course, the oil and gas companies. These companies are the guarantors of the fortunes of the State of Rio de Janeiro, which alone accounts for 12 % of the country's wealth, with one of the highest per capita GDPs in Brazil.

Despite the economic crisis, despite the recent discrediting of Petrobrasthe national oil extraction and refining giant embroiled in a vast corruption scandal, Brazil aims to become one of the world's leading suppliers of black gold by 2010. 2020. Current production of two million barrels a day should then rise to four or five million. We therefore believe that once the police operation "Lava Jato"Petrobras will be resuming its policy of involvement in the arts and education, a policy which until recently represented a major step forward for the company. 10% of private investment in Brazil. The company, which actively funds university research, also promotes cinema, the dominant creative field in Rio.

"More than half of Brazil's independent production companies are based in Rio, says Marcelo Haddad. The city also has a 58% market share of the local film industry."Indeed, no less than 190 production companies and nearly 60 dispensers are based in Rio, with the sector accounting for 5.7 % of the state's economy. Above all, Rio is home to TV Globo, the media empire specialising in the famous telenovelas, and Globosat, the country's largest producer and distributor of audiovisual content.

Proof of this hegemony of the film industryOne of the biggest building projects currently underway is the Rio Polo de AudiovisualThe aim is to rehabilitate and expand a studio complex dedicated to independent production companies. All in all, 75 million reais18 million will be invested, including in the construction of around ten additional studios.

This effervescence around the audiovisual sector is also encouraging the expansion of new media. In the Porto Maravilhawhere the rental of artists' studios is encouraged by tax breaks, will open in 2017 the YouTube HQ in Latin America, in a production complex 4,000 m² of state-of-the-art technology. Why did the American giant choose Rio for its South American base? Because the city enjoys a fine reputation in cultural terms, but also because Brazil is one of the first countries in the world to produce content on YouTube.

Between 2004 and 2013, activities linked to innovation and the Internet grew by 70 % in Brazil, accounting for 2.6 % of national GDP. The establishment in Porto Maravilha of a major name in the Silicon Valley should very quickly attract a new, young and highly qualified population. All the more so as another sector linked to creativity - architecture - is taking pride of place in this flagship district for the forthcoming Olympic Games.

Already in 2010, this is where the Studio Xa research centre dedicated totown planningin partnership with Columbia University in New York. More recently, two new museums have opened in Porto Maravilha, the Museu de Arte Do Rio (MAR), a work by the architects Jacobsen Arquitetura.

In Rio, architecture has always tried to dialogue with nature

Bernardo Jacobsenborn in Rio de Janeiro, has also chosen to live there, even though the firm he runs with his father is mainly based in the United States. Sao Paulo. For him, as for many creative people, Rio is a source of inspiration. "It's a city where the forest, the sea and the mountains are part of everyday life. This has had a major influence on my approach as an architect," explains Bernardo Jacobsen. I think that in Rio, architecture has always tried to dialogue with nature. The city is full of modernist buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer, Lucio Costa, Affonso Reidy or Roberto Burle Marx. But architectural creation came to a standstill for many decades, until the MAR relaunches a new process, followed by the Museum of Tomorrow in Santiago Calatrava and by the Musée de l'image et du son at Copacabanadesigned by Diller Scofidio + Renfro."

While official projects are flourishing under the impetus of next summer's Olympics, in the favelas all kinds of initiatives are springing up, such as theEscola do Olhar. The aim of this continuing education centre is to stimulate artistic awareness in collaboration with the MAR, while disseminating knowledge between state schools, universities and less privileged communities. "The emergence of a creative economy linked to urban issues is increasingly visible, ensures Benoît Trivulcedirector of Business France Rio. Many companies are opening social support departments to help favela residents by involving them in entrepreneurial projects."

Another example of these initiatives is theCasa Geração fashion school was inaugurated in 2013 in the pacified favela of Vidigal on the initiative of Nadine Gonzaleza former French journalist. "It's a school open to all, but free for young people from the favelas, says Nadine Gonzalez. Every year, twenty students come here to study. We train and promote hand-picked young people, who are often not fully aware of their abilities, creativity is born of daily resourcefulness."The singular vision of the young talent at Casa Geração is coveted by major fashion brands in London, Paris and New York, who collaborate with former students on capsule collections and trend books.

Like Nadine Gonzalez, Rio attracts many French designers. The designer Chafik Benazzouzwho fell under the city's spell some fifteen years ago, has opened a branch of his company here. Europalinkbrasil. The idea is to promote European and Brazilian design on both sides of the Atlantic. "With the current crisis, we're seeing an increase in creativity that is no longer confined to the privileged classes. This brings a fresh vision to the world of design and art."says the man who has just created the visual universe and architecture of Guérin bakeries, a top-of-the-range chain that is thriving in Brazil. Owner of theDesign AbbeyChafik Benazzouz has transformed a former cloister in Rio into a Bed & Breakfast, and is now hosting artists in residence from all over the world. So that Rio can shine.