Late post, thanks to the quick passage of time… I wasn’t quite aware that it was already Wednesday.
This post is not strictly about photography, but about a phenomenon that has undoubtedly changed the world and the way we relate to one another.
I was recently in Brazil on vacation, where I came across an interesting series of statues in Rio de Janeiro. The sculptures feature monkeys staring intently at their smartphones, a humorous reflection of our modern obsession with technology.
Their expressions are strangely familiar: eyes fixed on the screen, completely absorbed in whatever is happening inside that tiny rectangle, and oblivious to the world around them. It is an amusing sight in a city where real monkeys are also a familiar part of the landscape.
The sculptures turn a very human habit into a joke. We may laugh at these stone monkeys, but how different are we when we walk through the city with our own phones glued to our hands? When we ignore our lovers, friends, family members for what is out there inside the screen?
For a photographer, they are irresistible subjects: a little absurd, a little satirical, and very much a reflection of our time.
The sculptures are by the Brazilian artist Beto Gatti. They are part of his series “Primatas Digitais” (Digital Primates), which depicts monkeys absorbed in smartphones and other aspects of digital life. The work is intended as a humorous critique of our dependence on technology and social media.
The sculptures were exhibited in Rio de Janeiro before moving to the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói (MAC) in 2025. One of the works, Desconectados, even made the news because one of the monkey’s cellphones was stolen while on display.
If you are in Rio, below is a table with the locations of various statues (the one on this post is at Marina da Gloria in front of the MAC:
The Rio sculptures and locations
| Sculpture | Location in Rio |
|---|---|
| Primórdios Digitais | Rua Dias Ferreira, 175, Leblon |
| Desconectados | Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, near the Corte do Cantagalo |
| La Décadence Biomorphique | Praia de São Conrado, around no. 1400 |
| Cabo de Guerra | Praça Mauá, in front of the Museu do Amanhã |
| Saudade | Galeão International Airport, international departures |
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Wall Art landscapes and miscellaneous
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