The CBA welcomed a very special speaker to the auditorium of its Brazilian American Cultural Center. The subject was fascinating: the two facets of what is probably the most important and recognized Brazilian photographer, Sebastião Salgado.
Surprisingly, when the speaker, Philip Hoelzel, asked who was familiar with Salgado’s work, most of the audience indicated that they were not. And the approach that followed was able to meet the expectations of these people for whom almost everything was new, as well as those of people like me who had already had the opportunity to go to exhibitions by this great artist of ours.
Over the course of 75 minutes, Philip covered the most important facts in the biography and work of Salgado and his wife Lélia, a very important partner in her husband’s work. In the first part, a parallel was drawn between the couple’s life trajectory and their main photography projects, all illustrated with striking images produced with Salgado’s special eye, images resulting from the artist’s interaction with people, objects and scenarios in each of those projects.
In the second part, Philip told us about the real miracle that Sebastião and Lélia managed to achieve on the family farm in Aymorés, where he was born and raised, in the interior of Minas Gerais: a mega reforestation project that brought back not only the trees, but also the original flora and fauna. Philip also told us about his visit to the Instituto Terra (created by the couple), an NGO that continues to expand its successful endeavor, where more than 2.5 million trees have already been planted. According to him, his visit to Aimorés was also relevant to the research that resulted in the children’s book “Planting Hope“, which was launched in March 2024. The charming book, illustrated by Brazilian Renato Alarcão, presents English-speaking audiences with the life lessons of two true Brazilian heroes, Sebastião and Lélia Salgado.
Philip, who was applauded at the end, also showed us a copy of his new book, “Samba, the Heartbeat of a Community: Ailton Nunes Musical Journey“, confirming that he is indeed a passionate scholar of Brazilian culture. We will soon have an event at the CBA dedicated to his new work.
The lecture was also an opportunity for many who had not yet seen our new facilities to visit the building and the different spaces that are available.
