Danish architect Bjarke Ingels has defended his decision to meet with Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and said he intends to work in the country in the future.
Ingels released a statement rejecting the idea that countries like Brazil should be off-limits to architects after a photograph of him and Bolsonaro led to widespread criticism, including from the commenters on Dezeen.
"Creating a list of countries or companies that BIG should shy away from working with seems to be an oversimplification of a complex world,"  said Ingels, who is founder of Danish studio BIG, in a statement.
"Dividing everything into two categories is neither accurate nor reasonable. The way the world evolves isn't binary but rather gradual and on a vast array of aspects and nuances. If we want to positively impact the world, we need active engagement, not superficial clickbait or ignorance." Ingels happy to engage with "a government that is willing to listen"
Ingels was in Brazil on a fact-finding trip with hotel developer Nômade Group to investigate developing a tourism masterplan in the northwest of the country.
During the trip, he met with president Bolsonaro, who is a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage and drew widespread criticism for his response to fires in the Amazon last year.

"How better to impact the future of the region and the country than to plant the ideas we believe in at the highest level of government"" asked Ingels.
"Neith...