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Text of Roberto Cenni

The Commercial Social Service was founded by the commercial businessmen initiative and it is a nationwide private institution, which aims at offering services at low costs, promoting social welfare and cultural development of commerce employees and their families. The Sesc [Social Service for Trade] branch, which has more resources and from which most of the cultural events are expected is Sesc Pompéia, installed since 1982 in a refrigerator and drums factory, built in British style and restored by Lina Bo Bardi.

Sesc Pompéia program is characterized by the performance of major thematic exhibitions; up to 1985 the activities developed were closely supervised by Lina Bo Bordi, who prepared five exhibitions in the depot, which allocated the unit exhibitions. Sesc still presents thematic exhibitions, which have been honoring prominent writers, movie makers and scenographers, creating their own elements to children¹s delusions or exploiting different subjects of the national culture, in a way that the research of several months comes true in the presentation of objects and scenographic constructions that show the diversity of the chosen element. This has still been happening after Lina Bo Bordi left Sesc. Among the elements that comprise a thematic exhibition, the soundtrack has an important function once it touches the observer in a way that is not visual, so present in all and any exhibition.

Beth Bento was a Sesc Pompéia instructor at the time of Lina Bardi and Gláucia Amaral exhibitions and when invited to prepare the audio of these exhibitions, brought the childhood melody, animal noises and the interior sonority, pointing out, this way, the criterial architectural concept..

With her rich matrix collection in several supports, the experience developed in more than twenty years of work and her acute sensitivity, Beth Bento has contributed to several thematic exhibitions at Sesc Pompéia. The usage of resources such as silence rupture by sensors, the creation of sonorous landscapes and mixture of texts propose rhythm for the exhibition visitors who, consciously or not, leave deeply touched by Beth Bento soundtracks.

Roberto Cenni

Technical Assistant of Sesc Pompéia