The article aims to problematize, through the photographs of Sérgio Carvalho and João Ripper, the contemporary slave labor based on images from the book Slave portrait (2010). It seeks to contextualize the political dimension and the ethical and social engagement before the production that was commissioned by the International Labor Organization and sponsored by the Vale Foundation. They are documentary photographs that assume a public function, through their circuits of production, agency, circulation and experiences in the visual field.
Keywords: contemporary slave labor; public photography; special mobile inspection group.
