Amazonia: The Rights of Nature

Date: March 10, 2017 – January 28, 2018

Venue: Museum of Anthropology at UBC

The exhibition features Amazonian basketry, textiles, carvings, feather works and ceramics both of everyday and of ceremonial use, representing Indigenous, Maroon and white settler communities. Today, these groups confront threats caused by political violence, mining, oil and gas exploration, industrial agriculture, forest fires, and hydroelectric plants. Challenging visitors to examine their own notions towards holistic well-being, the exhibition covers more than 100 years of unsuspected relationships between Vancouver and Amazonian peoples, ideas, and their struggles.

The objects displayed in Amazonia: The collection’s items are primarily composed of simple, identifiable elements: vegetal fibers, wood, animal parts, clay, or feathers. These uncomplicated components are transformed into extremely sophisticated and intricate textiles, basketry, ceramics, feather works and jewelry, displaying the knowledge and craftsmanship of some of the groups who reside in the region. Taken in its entirety, the exhibition promises to offer a revealing window into one of the world’s more culturally, socially, and linguistically diverse regions, as well as a new framework for addressing some of the globe’s most pressing environmental challenges.

For more information please visit: http://moa.ubc.ca/portfolio_page/amazonia/