This exhibition is the first major retrospective dedicated to the long collaboration between the Brazilian artist and activist Claudia Andujar and the Yanomami people. Since the 1970s, Andujar has accompanied the struggle of this Indigenous group against violations of their human rights and in defense of their territory. This exhibition also presents a multidimensional perspective on Yanomami society through the art and voices of its people.
The first section of this exhibition presents Yanomami society and its cosmovision as it was in 1970, through Andujar’s photographic work, the visionary words of Kopenawa and films and drawings created by Yanomami artists. Little by little, the direct, black-and-white photos of the early years give way to more interpretive and transcendent images, enriched by the use of infrared film, color filters and other visual experiments.
The second part presents a detailed account of the Yanomami conflict and struggle as they have played out since the Brazilian military dictatorship launched an anxious offensive to colonize Amazonia. Two distinct types of images structure this narrative. On the one hand, a series of photographs reveals the trauma and despair caused by the illness and death of thousands of natives following the coming of capitalist enterprises and massive migration to the region. On the other, there are images used to facilitate medical assistance and improve health conditions in the territory. The presentation of these images continues to be object of profound mourning among Yanomami communities.
This exhibition presents a significant selection of Yanomami art and a contribution to reinforcing the struggle for the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples. At a time in which violence in Amazonia and the global climate crisis continue to dominate headlines, this project also aims to show that the protection of the environment depends on the continuous struggle for social justice and that art can be a powerful tool for reaffirming the knowledge of Indigenous peoples across the world.
More information on the event can be found here.