The Amazonian basin: this stunning territory, endowed with unparalleled biodiversity, has become the symbol of an ecological disaster. Yet the complex socio-political, economical, and environmental context has also witnessed the birth of a strong artistic scene, marked by an endless fascination for the magnificent and constantly changing tropical forest.
Mecarõ, conceived from the collection of Catherine Petitgas, reunites over one hundred artworks by more than fifty artists from the Amazonia basin dating from 1960 to present time. The title of the exhibition, meaning “spirit of the forest” in the Krahô language, becomes a summoning, revealing the artists’ territorial and traditional anchorage.
This richly illustrated catalog is composed of texts commissioned specifically for the exhibition: independent curator Kiki Mazzucchelli, anthro­pologist Pedro de Niemeyer Cesarino and curator and art critic Claire Luna have each brought their own singular per­spective on the Amazon and the contemporary artistic practices in these elusive areas. Two separate interviews with Catherine Petitgas and the artist Sol Calero complete the publication.

Montpellier, MO.CO., March - May 2020