Cover: The Man with the Marked Thumbs. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. A man approaches the photographer and raises both thumbs towards the camera, displaying handwritten political messages on his skin. His direct response to the lens contrasts with the unposed activity elsewhere in the series. The photograph records an encounter initiated by the person being photographed; it does not establish the full extent of his political views. Photo: Neil Wildin.
Life Around the Edges
Twenty-one photographs from the margins of a political rally on Avenida Paulista, São Paulo.
Photographs by Neil Wildin
On 18 October 2026, a demonstration in support of Flávio Bolsonaro filled Avenida Paulista. Neil Wildin’s series begins at the rally itself, then turns away from the platform towards the surrounding streets: the pavements, shuttered shopfronts, barriers and passers-by whose day carried on alongside the event.
The Gathering. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. People occupy Avenida Paulista during a demonstration in support of Flávio Bolsonaro on 18 October 2026. The photograph establishes the public occasion around which the other pictures were made, before attention moves to the surrounding streets and individual encounters. Photo: Neil Wildin.At the Centre of the Rally. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. Flávio Bolsonaro appears with other people on a raised platform at the demonstration. The photograph provides the political context for the series while remaining its only image centred on the rally platform. Photo: Neil Wildin.Among the Supporters. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. People, banners and campaign material share the space of the demonstration on Avenida Paulista. The photograph records the visible presence of supporters and observers within the gathering without attributing individual beliefs beyond what their actions show. Photo: Neil Wildin.Smoke Beyond the Crowd. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. The gathering is seen from farther along the avenue, with smoke or haze visible in the distance. The viewpoint places the event within the broader streetscape rather than concentrating on the speakers or platform. Photo: Neil Wildin.The Police Presence. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. Police personnel and vehicles are visible around the demonstration. The photograph records the public-order presence and changes to ordinary street activity accompanying the event. Photo: Neil Wildin.Along the Pavement. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. A shaded stretch of pavement contains people and everyday objects near the demonstration. The photograph redirects attention from the central gathering to the details of the surrounding street. Photo: Neil Wildin.Passing Through. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. People pass through an area adjoining the demonstration. Their movement forms part of the street scene, although the photograph alone does not establish their reason for being there. Photo: Neil Wildin.Through the Street. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. Figures and elements of the urban streetscape overlap within the frame. The photograph uses the surrounding structures and lines of sight to examine how people remain visible at the edge of the gathering. Photo: Neil Wildin.Walking the Dogs. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. Two women walk with dogs away from the busiest part of the demonstration. Their ordinary activity continues within the same urban setting as the political gathering, without any implication about their opinions of it. Photo: Neil Wildin.Beside the Shutters. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. People occupy the pavement beside a closed shopfront. The shuttered frontage gives the photograph a quieter setting than the centre of the rally and draws attention to people whose activities are not explained by the public event. Photo: Neil Wildin.At the Barrier. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. People stand or move near a column and a barrier beside the gathering. The photograph records the arrangement of bodies and street infrastructure through which people navigate the area. Photo: Neil Wildin.Resting by the Shutter. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. A person lies beside a metal shutter near the demonstration. The photograph records the visible posture and setting but does not establish the person’s housing circumstances, health or relationship to the event. Photo: Neil Wildin.Waiting and Watching. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. People stand and sit near the gathering, facing different directions and occupying the space in different ways. The photograph observes their presence without presuming what each person is waiting for or watching. Photo: Neil Wildin.Along the Closed Frontage. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. Police officers stand beside a shuttered building during the demonstration. The closed frontage and police presence show how the event intersects with ordinary commercial and pedestrian space. Photo: Neil Wildin.Beneath the Street Sign. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. People watch activity on Avenida Paulista beneath or near a street sign. The photograph situates the onlookers within the recognisable urban setting of the demonstration. Photo: Neil Wildin.A Gesture Above the Crowd. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. A political object is held above people gathered at the demonstration. The raised gesture draws attention within the crowd, while the rest of the frame places it among other participants and observers. Photo: Neil Wildin.Moving Through the Crowd. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. A person moves among people gathered for the demonstration. The photograph isolates an individual action within a larger event rather than presenting the crowd as a single undifferentiated subject. Photo: Neil Wildin.Held Close. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. An adult holds a child close amid the people gathered on Avenida Paulista. The photograph records their proximity and the surrounding crowd without assigning political intentions to the child. Photo: Neil Wildin.Recording the Moment. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. A person raises a mobile phone to record or photograph the demonstration. The gesture is another act of observation within the event and parallels the documentary photographer’s own activity. Photo: Neil Wildin.Into the Light. Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil · 18 October 2026. A person walks through a patch of sunlight near the gathering. The photograph closes the series with an ordinary movement through public space, away from the platform and the central political spectacle. Photo: Neil Wildin.
About the photographer
Neil Wildin is an independent documentary photographer based in São Paulo. More of his work: wildin.com.br
