Opened recently, Amazonia: A BioCreativity Hub is an art exhibition showing how nature inspires artistic production in the region. A collective call to action to protect the Amazon in the heart of Washington D.C. by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The IDB unveiled the “Amazonia: A BioCreativity Hub” art exhibition, which showcases the boundless creativity of an irreplaceable part of our world. The Amazon, with its vast biodiversity and crucial role in global climate regulation, demands a shared responsibility, and this exhibit serves as a powerful call to action to protect it.
It’s the result of a fruitful collaboration between the IDB’s Art & Transformation Program and the Regional Program: Amazonia Forever, focused on showing –through contemporary art– how the Amazon’s nature inspires and shapes regional artistic production, creating a unique connection between human creativity and the biodiversity of our planet’s green lung.
The Exhibition
The exhibition, curated by Manuela Reyes, goes beyond traditional art boundaries by fostering transdisciplinary connections between art, science, and technology. The combination of works on display, including installations, photography, video art, paintings, and sound art, creates an immersive and dynamic space that invites reflection on the complexity of our relationship with nature.
The Amazon region contains a vast palette of colors, cultures, territories and artistic traditions. The exhibition aims to showcase that richness through an original experience and highlight the Amazon’s vibrant potential for sustainable, resilient and inclusive development.
Olinda Silvano (Peru)
Ninete, 2023
Acrylic on canvas
Renowned artists such as Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe (Venezuela), Roberto Huarcaya (Peru), Olinda Silvano (Peru), Susana Mejía (Colombia), Gisela Motta & Leandro Lima (Brazil), and Uýra (Brazil) are featured in the exhibit. They all share not only a deep connection with their territory but also explore the profound link between humanity and the Amazonian nature through their works.
Art for Development
We often think of art and artists as separate from the work and concerns of those of the development-focused institutions. Some may even ask, why does a development bank like the IDB have an art program and a gallery? However, at the core of this exhibit is the IDB’s commitment to integrate art into the development agenda of nations. Art is a powerful asset for positive social transformation and economic development. Art is a productive activity that creates jobs, wealth and social impact. Art is a communication tool, a platform to create awareness of the region’s development needs through a creative lens. Culture has an untapped role in the decision-making process in development. Culture and art cannot be an afterthought when we plan cities, design health programs, or work with youth on violence prevention. Art and culture need to have a seat at the table.
UÝRA (Brazil)
A Mata Te Se Come (The Forest Eats You), from the Ensaio Elementar, 2018
Semi matte photo impression with satin laminate
The IDB Cultural Center, which has hosted cultural events since 1992, stands as a testament of IDB’s commitment to address development issues through the lens of creativity and culture. Each exhibition showcases some of Latin America and the Caribbean’s leading contemporary artists that are bringing innovation to the visual and performative arts with their most avant-garde works, to inject creativity and inspire the public, influencers, and future decision makers with innovative and creative solutions to on-going development challenges.
The Amazon Can’t Wait
“Amazonia: A BioCreativity Hub” serves as a collective call for the protection of the Amazon region. Through various art forms the exhibition shows how art has a unique ability to raise awareness in society. The fusion of ancestral wisdom with the richness of the biosphere, evident in each artwork, reflects the collective commitment to preserving and promoting the cultural and ecological diversity of Amazonia. The artists participating in this show aim not only to capture attention but also to incite action.
Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe (Venezuela)
Wakari / Fruit of the Forest, 2021
Monotype on Mulberry paper
According to the curator of the exhibition, Manuela Reyes, “through this innovative exhibit addressing the artistic creativity and stunning beauty of the Amazon, we want to inspire people to take care of and conserve this invaluable region. This multisensory art show provides visitors with a unique experience of the Amazon’s vibrant contemporary art”.
Visit the Exhibition
Visit the exhibition “Amazonia: A BioCreativity Hub” with open awareness and immerse yourself with all your senses in this unique experience.
It will be open to the public until at least September 30th, 2024, at the IDB Cultural Center (1300 New York Ave, NW, Washington, D.C.). Admission is free. Hours are Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET., or online, in its virtual version.
Featured Artists:
- Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe is a Yanomami Indigenous artist from the upper Orinoco River Basin in Venezuela. His work focuses on the rainforest and on recovering the memory of the ancestral traditions of his people. He has participated in major international exhibitions, such as the Venice Biennale (2022), the Biennale of Sydney (2022) and the Berlin Biennale (2019), and his work is part of the collections of the Reina Sofia Museum, MoMA, British Museum, MALI, MALBA, among others.
- Roberto Huarcaya, a Peruvian artist and photographer, combines the medium of photography with his profound interest in nature. His work “Cosmic Traces” will represent Peru at the Venice Biennale 2024. Throughout his career, he has participated in numerous exhibitions, including the Havana Biennial (1997), the Lima Biennial (1997, 1998 and 2000) and the Venice Biennial (2001), and his work is part of important art collections, including the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, the Museum of Latin American Art in California and the MUAC-UNAM in Mexico.
- Susana Mejía is a Colombian artist focused on exploring nature. She has stood out in the art world through her project “Color Amazonía,” which preserves Indigenous knowledge of the natural pigments of the Amazon rainforest. She has exhibited at the Quebec Biennial (2015), the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington D.C., and the Pratt Manhattan Gallery in New York, among other places.
- Gisela Motta & Leandro Lima are a Brazilian artistic duo that has been collaborating since the late 1990s. Their innovative work explores the realms of audio and video installation, fusing art, technology and spiritual rituals of the Yanomami shaman tribes of Brazil in their project “Amoahiki.” They have exhibited at the Inhotim Museum of Contemporary Art (2019), the Havana Biennial (2009) and Galeria Vermelho in São Paulo, among other venues. Their work forms part of outstanding collections, such as those of the CIFO Art Foundation in Miami, the Figueiredo Ferraz Institute and the Pinacoteca de São Paulo.
- Uýra isa Brazilian trans-Indigenous artist, biologist, and art educator with a Master’s degree in ecology. Using her body as a medium, she weaves a tapestry of emotions, stories and cultural elements that shed light on the struggles and triumphs of marginalized communities, defending the rights of the LGBTQI+ community and Indigenous peoples of the Amazon. She has participated in more than 50 exhibitions, including the Rio de Janeiro Museum of Modern Art, the São Paulo Biennial (2020) and the Amazon Biennial (2023), and her works are part of the collections of the Pinacoteca de São Paulo, the PIPA Institute and the Currier Museum of Art, among other institutions.
- Olinda Silvano is an Indigenous muralist, painter and textile artist from the Shipibo-Konibo community of Peru. She creates intricate “kenés,” colorful geometric patterns that embody the knowledge of her people. She was one of the finalists to represent Peru at the Venice Biennale 2024. Prominent museums, including Kunsthalle and Museumsquartier in Vienna, Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares in Mexico City, Museo de Arte de Lima, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto (2022) and ARCOMadrid in Spain (2019), have exhibited her work.
About the Exhibition:
- Curated by: Manuela Reyes
- Coordinated by: Pedro Quijano
- Graphic and exhibition design: Bijari
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