Poetics of montage

Discontinuities of urban temporalities and the expanded memory in the city of Natal/RN

Abstract

This article explores the relationships between image, time, and city using montage as an anthropological method to investigate the urban transformations and memories of Natal, RN. The research aims to understand how visual fragments, such as photographs and other images, can destabilize historical linearity and offer new readings of the city. Methodologically, the study was divided into two stages: a survey of visual archives and exploratory walks through the city to produce new images, followed by photographic montage exercises. Key concepts include montage, temporality, and memory, which guide the analysis of urban discontinuities. The findings suggest that the degradation of the city's material heritage reflects its urban contradictions, and the images serve as tools for rethinking time and space, proposing alternative readings for Natal’s urban future.