03. Post_Amazon

The Unfolding of a World: Glimpses from the Post-Amazon

Aesthetics of Survival

My privilege as curator for Rodrigo Petrella's 2023 solo exhibition at MuVIM in Valencia, "The Indigenous Month in Times of Post-Amazon," afforded me a unique vantage point into a body of work that deliberately transcends the confines of pure anthropological or ethnographic inquiry. We are not merely documenting; we are engaging within a complex reality of Amazonian Indigenous life through a fundamentally aesthetic lens. Petrella, as an artist and photographer, allows the lines between strict documentation and contemporary art to blur, stretching the medium's capacity to cross into territories typically reserved for political, environmental, and historical analysis. The exhibition, at its core, delves into the devastating threats faced by Amazonian Indigenous peoples, yet it equally insists on highlighting their extraordinary resilience, expressed through the enduring forces of memory, territory, and culture in constant flux.

On Territories and Their Fluid Geometries: A Geography of Vulnerability and Resilience

1700- 1746- 1835- 1861

The exhibition opens with two maps—one French from 1829, the other an undated German piece—not as static cartographic markers, but as metaphors for the dynamic and provisional nature of Indigenous territories. They signify not only the vastness of Brazil and the Amazon, but, more importantly, the ever-shifting localization of distinct ethnic groups. These populations are in a constant state of adjustment, sometimes nomadic, at other times compelled by pressures from national society. This notion of territory as a continuous, provisional movement pervades the exhibition, reflecting the Indigenous peoples' relentless efforts at conservation, loss, readjustment, and appropriation in conditions of extreme vulnerability. It is a subtle commentary on the broader planetary phenomenon we might term the "slow carcinization of the landscape," where complex natural systems are relentlessly simplified into monocultural tableaus. The maps, then, serve as a testament to worlds both mapped and unmappable, revealing Indigenous existence as one that resists rigid containment, continuously asserting its presence against an increasingly encroaching, homogenizing force.

The Poetics of Memory: Collaborative Acts of Preservation

A core tension in this exhibition lies in the precarious balance between the widespread devastation Indigenous peoples endure and the imaginative possibilities that art can summon to envision other horizons and alternative futures. Crucially, the work was not born from a pre-established concept nor is simply about Indigenous peoples, but, in part, with them. It grew organically from specific situations as they unfolded, rather than from a predetermined concept. On one occasion, Rodrigo shared his photographs with the Xavante Indigenous people. Their subsequent request—a plea to "fix memory" against the terrifying risk of its dissolution, given the rapid loss of community customs—transformed the project into a profound collaborative act of preservation. The Xavante's own small annotations and drawings on these photographs are particularly revelatory. Their representational conventions, unburdened by Western perspective, are not a deficiency but rather reflect a distinct epistemological vision—a distinct way of knowing and representing the world. This profound insight underscores that the loss of each language is, quite literally, the loss of an entire world: a world of named things, a universe of rituals, culinary arts, eroticisms, specific ways of dressing, and intricate systems of naming. Rodrigo's lens, by helping to record these precious fragments, becomes an anchor in the relentless torrent of cultural erosion, actively illuminating a latent aura that resides within their threatened heritage. It is a silent power, inherent in their forms of knowing and being, awaiting activation.

Metals, Forests, and Bodies as echoes of Material and Spirit: Art as Inquiring Presence

Throughout the exhibition, particular images serve as powerful symbolic weight and stark denunciations. Consider the large-format photograph crafted to appear as if burned onto metal. Its bronze-gold hue carries a potent double meaning: on one hand, it refers to the relentless mining practices that excavate the forests, the destructive, often illegal, search for minerals. Yet, simultaneously, it casts a resplendent glow upon the magnificent Amazonian forests that stand still . This duality presents a towering forest, with its intricate textures of fronds and intertwining lianas, as an effulgent manifestation of nature’s enduring spirit. Similarly, the presence of a Pau Brasil (Brazilwood) tree trunk on the ground, a species emblematic of the region and prized for its noble wood, reinforces this duality. Its potent red pulp, suggestive of "interior blood" or a body flayed by its bark, resonates with Indigenous body painting and implies the piece is inhabited by a vital energy, a living soul—not in a Christian spiritual sense, but as an inherent principle of vitality. For some groups, like the Tupi-Guarani, the tree is even conceived as a vehicle for the word, a powerful metaphor for nature’s life-giving force amidst the encroaching clearings. These elements, through Rodrigo's aesthetic framing, compel us to perceive their deeper, latent presence, not merely as inert objects but as living entities imbued with cultural and spiritual significance that defy Western commodification. Elsewhere, spectral faces emerge, referencing both environmental devastation and the invocation of ancestors through ritual. These black-and-white countenances seem to inquire, to challenge, to interpelate, acting as a silent, yet profound, plea for solidarity in these urgent times, embodying the haunting presence of what is lost and the enduring call for recognition.

Ritual as Resistance: Beauty, Adaptation and Cultural Affirmation

Indigenous rituals, as the exhibition highlights, are immensely potent symbolic concentrations, rich in multiple dimensions. They are expressions of community unity, reaffirming social pacts in every ceremony—rituals of mourning, joy, play, propitiation, and appeals to nature’s bounty. These are complex, multifaceted enactments, akin to intricate theatrical performances with their own codes and disparate elements. A particularly striking sequence depicts an unusual ritual, which Rodrigo was fortunate enough to document. Images show the preparation of bodies painted predominantly in red and black, capturing the collective gaze of a multitude anticipating or congregating. Another powerful depiction features a warrior ritual, or conflict ritual, an occasional event in Indigenous communities that serves as a means of processing internal disputes or preparing for inter-ethnic wars. These are not mere enactments; they are potent clashes, almost a blend of sporting tournaments and rites appealing to the collective use of force.

Even in the face of resource scarcity, Indigenous creativity endures. Consider the three crowns, representing religious and political power. Historically adorned with the magnificent plumage of blue and red macaws—the non plus ultra of animal beauty—these birds are now critically endangered. Paradoxically, Indigenous peoples, as careful stewards of their habitat, have adapted, substituting the rare feathers with plastic straw, forging a new aesthetic. These are not crude replicas; they are entirely new designs, evoking a minimalist, powerfully geometric, and synthesized form. This remarkable adaptation is a testament to the resilience of tradition through creative reinvention, showcasing how Indigenous cultural practices constantly reconfigure and reassert their essence.

The Scars of the Earth: A "De-landscape" of Planetary Impact

One of the exhibition's most dramatic scenes portrays the "de-landscape" or "blinding" effect of mining, revealing the literal undermining of the earth. Enormous hills are formed from excavated rocks, creating a precarious situation where rains can cause landslides, even as new forests attempt to grow on their slopes. The sheer scale is staggering: one such hill, towering over 870 meters, dominates the Carajás and Pará regions – an area as vast as Spain and France combined. This segment forcefully demonstrates the immense ecological devastation, underscoring its undeniable planetary impact. It is a stark visualization of what we might call an "advanced program of global degradation," where the relentless pursuit of resources leaves behind a gaping, destructive wound on the planet, attempting to silence its inherent vitality.

Ongoing Realities: The "Family Album" and Adapting Daily Life

The exhibition culminates in rooms featuring three screens displaying different moments of Indigenous daily life. While this "everyday" includes rituals, hunting, and play, it is also conceived as a book being leafed through, much like the earlier "family album" of special moments. These images—at times featuring feathered body coverings used for ritual and therapeutic purposes, or deep scarifications considered both curative and beautiful—illustrate the intricate tapestry of their existence. Other scenes depict the profound body painting and ceremonial attire, or the distinct brete, a piercing worn by adult males of certain Amazonian groups. The masks and garments of dry straw or leaves worn by figures in some rituals are so striking they appear almost extraterrestrial. The women's entry into a ritual, utilizing baca maracas (rattles) to stir the air and create an acoustic climate conducive to communal unity, further illustrates the rich symbolism embedded in their daily lives. Critically, these screens also show the new ways Indigenous peoples engage with the world—watching television, connecting globally—demonstrating their capacity to absorb modern elements without relinquishing their profound collective memory. This section humanizes the struggle, revealing a vibrant, evolving existence capable of integrating the new while fiercely safeguarding its identity.

Epilogue: The Enduring World

Rodrigo Petrella’s "The Indigenous Month in Times of Post-Amazon" is, ultimately, an invitation to a deeper and different understanding. By deliberately stepping beyond conventional anthropological frameworks and by drawing upon the critical insights we've explored in Aura Latente, where the exhibition leverages a powerful expressive aesthetic to reveal both the profound vulnerabilities facing these communities and their extraordinary resilience. Through dynamic portrayals of territory, the poignant poetics of memory, the rich symbolism of natural elements and human adornment, and the stark realities of environmental devastation, Petrella’s photographs do more than simply document; they challenge, they provoke, and most importantly, they illuminate. They show that beneath the surface of external pressures, a vibrant, continuous existence asserts its unique being. This exhibition is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the vital importance of preserving threatened cultures. It urges us to imagine "other horizons"—to recognize the power of art to foster awareness and compassion, and to understand that the survival of these Indigenous worlds, with their potent, often latent, spiritual and cultural richness, is inextricably linked to the well-being of our shared planet. The art, here, serves as a poignant reminder that even in the face of profound loss, the capacity to create, to remember, and to envision new possibilities for social and tribal organization remains.

an essay from the interview of Ticio Escobar

RODRIGO PETRELLA

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