Genesis. The exhibition is the result of a multi-year survey and draws together more than 200 spectacular black-and-white photographs of wildlife, landscapes, seascapes, and indigenous peoples-raising public awareness about the pressing issues of environmental and climate change.
curated by Lélia Wanick Salgado
The International Center of Photography (ICP) is proud to be the first venue in the U.S. to present the
momentous exhibition Genesis, a project by world-renowned photographer Sebastião Salgado. On view
from September 19, 2014, through January 11, 2015, the exhibition, curated and designed by Lélia Wanick
Salgado, is the result of a multi-year survey and draws together more than 200 spectacular black-and-white
photographs of wildlife, landscapes, seascapes, and indigenous peoples—raising public awareness about
the pressing issues of environmental and climate change.
“Genesis is a quest for the world as it was, as it was formed, as it evolved, as it existed for millennia before
modern life accelerated and began distancing us from the very essence of our being,” said Lélia Wanick
Salgado. “It is testimony that our planet still harbors vast and remote regions where nature reigns in silent
and pristine majesty.”
Salgado’s quest to capture nature in its original state began in 2004. 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 unspoiled grandeur. Through these photographs, Salgado pays homage to a fragile
planet he believes we must all protect.
Genesis, Salgado’s third long-term series, can be viewed as a response to its predecessors Workers (1993)
and Migrations (2000), which explored displaced populations and the relentless working conditions endured
by men and women around the world. In Genesis, Salgado has chosen to focus on the pristine beauty of the
earth and those living in harmony with it. ICP exhibited both of Salgado’s previous long-term projects, along
with several smaller shows, and is pleased to again bring the work of this influential photographer to New
York.
About Sebastião Salgado
Sebastião Salgado was born on February 8, 1944, in Aimorés, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Initially an economist,
Salgado began his photographic career in Paris in 1973. He worked with the Sygma, Gamma, and Magnum
Photos agencies until 1994, when he and his wife Lélia Wanick Salgado founded Amazonas Images,
dedicated exclusively to his work. He has travelled to more than 100 countries for his photographic projects,
which—after being published in the press—are mainly presented in books including Autres Amériques and
Sahel, l’homme en détresse (1986), La Main de l’homme (1993), Terra (1997), Exodes (2000), Les Enfants de
l’Exode (2000), and Africa (2007). Travelling exhibitions of his work have been, and continue to be, presented
throughout the world.
Since 1990, Sebastião and Lélia have been working to reclaim the environment of a small part of the Atlantic
Forest in Brazil by giving a plot of land they owned back to nature. In 1998, they made the area into a natural
reserve and created the Instituto Terra, with a mission aimed at reforestation and environmental education.
In 2012, Sebastião and Lélia were honored by UNESCO, Instituto e, and the Rio City Council for their work
with Instituto Terra, and the “Personalidade Ambiental” first prize awarded by WWF Brazil. Sebastião has also
been awarded many prizes and is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and honorary member of The Academy
of Arts and Science in the United States.
About Lélia Wanick Salgado
Lélia Wanick Salgado was born in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Lélia studied architecture at the Ecole
Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, and urban planning at Paris VIII University, where she earned her
bachelors and masters degrees.
She first became interested in photography in the early 1970s. In the 1980s, she worked for photography
magazines Photo Revue and Longue Vue. Between 1985 and 1986, she was director of Galerie Magnum
in Paris. In 1987, Lélia created her own organization for photography exhibitions and book publishing. She
produced a series of books for Sebastião Salgado including Autres Amériques; the eponymous exhibition
was awarded the “Prix du Public” at the Paris Month of Photography in 1986. The many exhibitions she
has conceived and curated have been presented in museums and galleries all over the world. Among the
books she has designed are La Main de l’Homme (1993), Terra (1997), Exodes (2000), Les Enfants de l’Exode
(2000)—for which she received the Prêmio Jabuti Prize in 2001 in Brazil—and Africa (2007).
Lélia has been the director of Amazonas Images, which she founded with Sebastião, since 1994 and is also
president of the Instituto Terra, which they created in 1998. For Genesis, Lélia designed the books published
by TASCHEN.
PUBLICATIONS
This exhibition is accompanied by two fully illustrated publications, designed and edited by Lélia Wanick
Salgado and published by TASCHEN.
Sebastião Salgado. GENESIS (TASCHEN, 2013)
Lélia Wanick Salgado
520 pages, 24.3 x 35.5 cm
Hardcover, $69.99
Sebastião Salgado. GENESIS (TASCHEN, 2013)*
Lélia Wanick Salgado
2 Volumes with reading stand
704 pages, 46,8 x 70 cm
Leather/Clothbound, $4,000
*LIMITED EDITION SIGNED BY SEBASTIÃO SALGADO
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
A range of programs will be presented in conjunction with the exhibition. These will include lectures and
educator–led tours.
TRAVELING EXHIBITION SCHEDULE
The Genesis exhibition has attracted more than 1.5 million visitors worldwide since it began touring in April
2013. The following is a schedule of past, current, and future exhibition venues and dates.
Image: Sebastião Salgado, Iceberg between Paulet Island and the South Shetland
Islands on the Antarctic Channel. At sea level, earlier flotation levels are
clearly visible where the ice has been polished by the ocean’s constant
movement. High above, a shape resembling a castle tower has been carved
by wind erosion and detached pieces of ice. The Antarctic Peninsula. 2005.
© Sebastião Salgado/Amazonas images-Contact Press Images.
Press contacts:
Krishna Knabe 212.857.9707 kknabe@icp.org
Camille Ortiz 212.857.0048 cortiz@icp.org
Media Preview September 18, 2014, 11:30am-1:30pm
International Center of Photography ICP
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street - New York, NY 10036
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Friday: 10 am–8 pm
Saturday–Sunday: 10 am–6 pm
Closed: Mondays
Closed: New Year's Day, January 1;
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Admission
General Admission: $14
Students and Seniors (with valid ID): $10
ICP Members: Free
Children under 12: Free
Voluntary Contribution Fridays 5–8 pm