Exhibition "Amazônia" | Sebastião Salgado

The exhibition Amazônia, by Sebastião Salgado, arrives at Museu do Amanhã on July 19th for a six-month season.

Made up of almost 200 photographic panels, the exhibition has caused an impact wherever it has been, such as in France (Music Museum - Paris Philharmonic), Italy (MAXXI Museum, in Rome) and England (Science Museum, in London), reminding how impressive life in the forest is, whether in the aerial view that brings the luminous curve of a river, or in the meticulous adornments used by native peoples. Master sponsor is Zurich Insurance, which also supports Instituto Terra, Salgado's project of native forest recomposition on Vale do Rio Doce, in Minas Gerais; Natura and Itaú gold sponsorships.

The 194 printed images are the result of seven years of Sebastião Salgado's experiences and expeditions in the Brazilian Amazon and reveal the forest, rivers and mountains, as well as life in various indigenous communities - the Awá-Guajá, Zo'é, Suruwahá, Yawanawá, Marubo, Asháninka, Korubo, Yanomami and Macuxi peoples are portrayed. This dense universe marked the photographer's eye with impressive images, most of them shown to the public for the first time.

Conceived and designed by Lélia Wanick Salgado, the exhibition promotes a dive into the heart of the Amazon and is an invitation to see, listen and, at the same time, reflect on the future of biodiversity and the urgent need to protect indigenous peoples and preserve this ecosystem that is essential to the planet.

"When designing 'Amazonia', I wanted to create an environment where the visitor would feel inside the forest, integrated with its exuberant vegetation and with the daily life of the local populations," comments Lélia.

In addition to the printed images, the exhibition also presents two spaces with projections of photographs. One of them shows forest landscapes set to music by the symphonic poem "Erosion - Origin of the Amazon River", by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959); the other shows portraits of indigenous people, with a special composition by Rodolfo Stroeter. Videos will also be shown with testimonies from indigenous leaders on the importance of the Amazon and the problems faced today in their survival in the forest. 

"This exhibition aims to feed the debate about the future of the Amazon forest. It is something that must be done with the participation of everyone on the planet, together with indigenous organisations," argues Sebastião Salgado.

The arrival of the Amazônia exhibition adds to a series of initiatives that the Museum of Tomorrow is undertaking this year with a focus on valuing the Amazon region. Since its inauguration at the end of 2015, the museum has sought to stimulate debate on forest preservation through events organized with partners such as the National Institute for Amazonian Research (Inpa) and the constant updating of data on deforestation in the region, published in the long-term exhibition. 

In 2022, this positioning gained even more strength with the exhibition Fruturos - Tempos Amazônicos, which was on show until June, accompanied by a series of activities that reinforced the central question of the project: how to promote a new development model for the region, that combines traditional knowledge and scientific knowledge, with the commitment to keep the forest standing? Also this year, we will have at the LAA (Laboratório de Atividades do Amanhã - Tomorrow's Activities Laboratory) the Indigenous Ethnomedia exhibition, which seeks to bring the public closer to initiatives such as Video in the Villages and Radio Yandê, among others that have the perspective of self-representation in common. 

By highlighting the Amazon in its programming, the Museum of Tomorrow has the opportunity to address issues that reverberate through the most diverse areas, in all Brazilian regions. This involves, for example, the need for more investment in research, as well as assertive proposals to address the causes and consequences of global warming. It also involves, in a fundamental way, the valorisation and defence of populations that have historically been decimated in our territory, such as the native peoples. All this dialogues directly with the museum's four axes: sustainability, coexistence, knowledge and innovation. 

Here at the Museum, our tomorrow is made today. Therefore, hosting the exhibition Amazônia by Sebastião Salgado this year reinforces the commitment we have to invite our public to see the power of the various ecosystems and of our environment, to debate the urgent issues we face for a better future of our planet and to rethink our existence in a transformative way.
 

The activity is committed to the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030, which provides for 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), click here to learn more.

Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

After passing through Paris, Rome and London and other important cities in the world, Amazônia arrives for its season in Rio de Janeiro, taking place simultaneously at the Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) and at Galeria Silvia Cintra + box4.