With time as the guiding thread of its narrative, the temporary exhibition Fruits - Amazonian Times arrives at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro on December 17th, the date we celebrate our sixth anniversary. Across seven areas, the exhibition showcases the grandeur, biodiversity, and knowledge present in the world's largest tropical biome, proposes new discoveries about the relationship between the forest and climate, and highlights the urgent need for its conservation.
Spanning eight countries and one territory, occupying almost half of Brazil, the Amazon is currently home to over 30 million people, thousands of plant species, and is one of the most biodiverse regions on the globe. Reflecting this magnitude, "Fruturos - Tempos Amazônicos" will be the exhibition with the largest number of artifacts in the history of the Museum of Tomorrow. In addition to being constructed from the reuse of pieces from previous exhibitions held at the cultural facility, the exhibition will also feature objects crafted from the work of indigenous artisans from different regions of the country.
"The exhibition offers an updated perspective on the Amazon biome, which is gigantic, spanning several countries, and, in addition to having enormous biodiversity, is also socially diverse. We intend to showcase the current challenges facing the Amazon, the different scenarios emerging from the current socioeconomic development model, and the proposal for a new model based on science, traditional knowledge, and a commitment to the standing forest," explains Leonardo Menezes, Director of Knowledge and Creation at the Museum of Tomorrow and curator of the exhibition.
"The Fruturos exhibition came at a good time, because it goes beyond the forest and the richness of its biodiversity, it also speaks to the cultural diversity of those who live there, its people. Vale knows the region well. It has been there for 30 years, helping to protect an area of 800,000 hectares of forest, the Carajás Mosaic, equivalent to five times the size of the city of São Paulo," says Maria Luiza Paiva, Vale's Executive Vice President of Sustainability.
"It is with immense pride that the Vale Cultural Institute joins this journey through time, in 'Fruturos Amazônicos,' which brings us closer to the experiences of millennia, centuries, and decades in the world's largest tropical forest. The exhibition invites us to reflect on the diverse ways of living, coexisting, and creating in the region, and to rethink the influences of these cultures on our lives. We join this journey, looking at Vale's more than three-decade history of preserving the Amazon and the multiple artistic and cultural manifestations that the Vale Cultural Institute supports in the region; and we move forward together, looking ahead to the time we have ahead," says Luiz Eduardo Osorio, Vale's Executive Vice President of Institutional Relations and Communications and Chairman of the Board of the Vale Cultural Institute.
Visitors will feel part of the forest through the ambiance, which will feature interactive activities, elements that reveal the Amazon's diversity, and the region's musical atmosphere. Driven by a temporal narrative, the exhibition connects with the experiences of millennia, centuries, and decades that cohabit the Amazon today, while also highlighting future prospects. The sections will address topics such as fauna, flora, peoples, and culture, offering insight into the daily lives of local populations, perpetuated traditions, and the multiple languages used.
"What guided the scientific support work for the exhibition, first and foremost, was the fascinating universe of the Amazon, which is one of the richest ecosystems on the planet and, at the same time, one of the most threatened. Furthermore, it's also important to bring the biome's themes to a wide audience in a beautiful, playful, and simplified way that anyone can understand. All of these aspects are relevant and strategic for Brazilian society as a whole," says scientist Paulo Artaxo, the exhibition's chief consultant.
