The Villa Tamaris cultural center in La Seyne-sur-Mer, France, is currently hosting an extraordinary exhibition featuring 250 sublime black and white photographs from the late Brazilian-French photographer Sebastião Salgado's acclaimed "Genesis" series. The exhibition, which runs through January 11, serves as a powerful tribute to nature and showcases what many consider the photographer's most beautiful and accomplished work.
Curated by Lélia Wanick Salgado, the artist's widow and longtime collaborator, the "Genesis" exhibition represents what she describes as "the quest for the world of origins." The collection captures the raw beauty and diversity of our planet through stunning contrasts, featuring landscapes, wildlife, flora, and human communities from across the globe. The photographs span from the southern regions of the planet to northern territories, documenting Salgado's tireless efforts to capture Earth's pristine beauty.
Born in Brazil in 1944, Sebastião Salgado began his photography career documenting some of the darkest chapters of social history. His early work included powerful images of social injustice and human suffering. In 1991, he captured the haunting scenes of burning oil wells in Kuwait during the Gulf War, establishing himself as one of the world's most respected photojournalists. After collaborating with major photography agencies throughout his career, Salgado and his wife founded Amazonas Images in Paris in 1994, a press agency dedicated to supporting their ambitious photographic projects.
The "Genesis" project was conceived in 2004 as an ambitious undertaking comprising 32 photographic reports documenting landscapes, wildlife, flora, and human communities in their most natural states. The project culminated in the publication of the "Genesis" book in 2013, coinciding with the first major exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London. Since then, the exhibition has traveled worldwide, sharing Salgado's vision of a fragile yet resilient planet where humans can live in harmony with nature.
The exhibition takes on added significance following Salgado's passing in May at the age of 80, as noted by tributes including one from Prince Albert II of Monaco, who praised the photographer's "rare humanity." The work reflects not only Salgado's artistic mastery but also his and his wife's environmental commitment through their Instituto Terra foundation, dedicated to nature protection and reforestation efforts.
Visitors to the Villa Tamaris can experience this remarkable collection free of charge from Wednesday through Sunday, 1:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Guided tours are available by appointment, offering deeper insights into Salgado's methodology and the stories behind these breathtaking images. The exhibition represents a search for nature in its original state, telling the story of our planet's beauty and the possibility of sustainable coexistence between humanity and the natural world.
