Sebastiao Salgado: Amazonia

The immensity of the Amazon unfolds at the Drassanes Reials in Barcelona in a visual story that invites contemplation and reflection. Sebastião Salgado (Brazil, 1944) presents 'Amazônia', which could be described as both a declaration of love for the planet and a cry of defiance in the face of its fragility. More than 200 large-format photographs, seven films and a soundtrack make up this exhibition that is presented as a tribute to one of the most important ecosystems on the planet and a call for the urgency of protecting it.

Curated by Lélia Wanick Salgado , 'Amazônia' is the result of seven years of deep exploration in the Amazon rainforest. Sebastião Salgado, winner of the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts (1998) and the King of Spain Award for Photography (1987), traveled this vast territory with the aim of capturing its essence: the winding rivers, the majestic trees and the mountains that seem to connect the earth with the sky. Throughout his journey, Salgado also documented the lives of the indigenous communities that inhabit this region, giving voice to some of the more than 310,000 indigenous people, who, as direct witnesses, warn about the threats that loom over this region.

Xamà yanomami realitza un ritual abans de la pujada al Pico da Neblina. Estat de l'Amazones, Brasil, 2014. © Sebastião Salgado

Salgado's images capture the faces of communities such as the Yanomami, the Zo'é or the Awá-Guajá, who live completely on the margins of the society we know and inhabit and which dominates much of the world. These cultures not only defend the preservation of the nature that surrounds them, but also the continuity of their traditions, languages and ways of life, which are, at the same time, a heritage for all of humanity. Their resistance to external threats - deforestation, exploitation and climate change - is a lesson in balance and sustainability that runs through the entire exhibition.

The dimly lit room, with large-format images that concentrate all the lighting, intensifies the visual power of the exhibition. In addition, spaces that resemble indigenous dwellings known as ocas have been recreated, where videos with testimonies from indigenous communities are projected. The exhibition also reveals natural phenomena such as flying rivers, currents of atmospheric humidity generated by the evapotranspiration of trees and that transport large volumes of water to other regions of the continent, reminding us that the Amazon is one of the lungs of the planet.

Sala de l'exposició 'Amazônia' a les Drassanes Reials de Barcelona.

The exhibition is accompanied by a sound composition created by Jean-Michel Jarre , based on real recordings of the jungle: the whispering of trees, the singing of birds and the sound of water. Inspired by materials from the Ethnographic Museum of Geneva, the music and images offer a totally immersive experience, very similar to that of the CCCB's 'Amazonia' exhibition.

The exhibition, which will be open until April 20, arrives in Barcelona after having been visited by more than a million and a half visitors in cities such as Paris, Rome, London and São Paulo. It is a journey through the beauty of Salgado's images that invites us to rethink our relationship with nature and to urgently take an active role in its preservation. All this, inspired by the artist's own words: "The earth does not belong to us; it is we who belong to the earth."

Arxipèlag fluvial de Mariuá, riu Negre. Estat d'Amazones, Brasil, 2019. © Sebastião Salgado