Opening: 31 May at 8pm

Jakopič Gallery and City Museum, MGML, Ljubljana

The momentous exhibition Genesis, a project by world-renowned photographer Sebastião Salgado, is a result of a multi-year photography survey. It draws together 245 spectacular black-and-white photographs of wildlife, landscapes, seascapes and indigenous peoples—raising public awareness about the pressing issues of environmental and climate change.

Having previously worked as an economist, Salgado began his career as a professional photographer in 1973 in Paris working with the photo agencies Sygma, Gamma, and Magnum Photos until, in 1994, he and Lélia Wanick Salgado formed Amazonas Images, an organisation created exclusively for his work. Genesis, Salgado’s third long-term series, can be viewed as a response to its predecessors Workers (1993) and Migrations (2000) series that explored displaced populations and the relentless working conditions endured by men and women around the world.

In Genesis, Salgado has chosen to shift his interest away from people and focus on the pristine beauty of the earth and those living in harmony with it. Having scarcely changed throughout the history of the earth, 46 percent of the landmass on earth is as intact as it was thousands of years ago. Within the space of eight years, Salgado has undertaken 32 journeys in these regions: in small propeller-driven aircraft, on foot, by boat, in a folding kayak and a captive balloon. He has travelled through climatically extreme zones, in rough terrain, far away from any civilisation. During his travels across the globe, he documented arctic and desert landscapes, tropical rainforests, marine and other wildlife and communities still living according to ancestral traditions. The exhibition is divided into five geographical regions: Sanctuaries, Planet South, Africa, Amazonia and Pantanal, and Northern Spaces. Together, the images form a stunning mosaic of nature in its unspoiled grandeur. Through these photographs, Salgado pays homage to a fragile planet he believes must be protected, by all of us.

On a formal level, Salgado’s photographs captivate the viewer with their delicate tinges of colour and shades of grey, and with sharp contrast between light and dark areas. In particular, the photographs’ strong appeal is due to their intentionally calm compositions, made up of clear structures, lines and forms.

(Marija Skočir)

The exhibition is open until 31 August 2016.

Gallery hours:
Tuesday-Wednesday-Sunday: 10.00-18.00
Thursday-Friday-Saturday: 10.00-21.00

Address: Slovenska cesta 9 & Gosposka 15, Ljubljana

Entrance fee: 8 € / 5,5 €