Amazonia Açu Conference

Speakers

• Patricia Zalamea Gajardo, Associate Professor of Art History at Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.
• Maria Berbara, Professor of Art History, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Carmen Fernández-Salvador, Professor of Art History, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador.
• Diana Iturralde, Ph.D. Candidate in Art History, Rutgers University.
• Valeria Meiller, Assistant Professor, Stony Brook University.
• Fernando Loffredo, Assistant Professor, Stony Brook University.

“(We want) to think transregionally, beyond national borders, which is the way, many times, the art history of our countries is told,” said Patricia Zalamea Gajardo, associate professor at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. Zalamea opened our Amazonia Açu Conference, a two-panel public program held in partnership with The Amazon Basin as Connecting Borderland project examining artistic, literary, and environmental perspectives from across the Amazonian territory.

The first panel brought together Zalamea, Maria Berbara, and Carmen Fernández-Salvador, alongside co-curator Diana Iturralde, to share research from the Connecting the Amazon Border intiative. 

The second panel discussed Ruge el bosque, a plurilingual environmental poetics anthology series. Editor Valeria Meiller spoke with professor Fernando Loffredo of Stony Brook University about the anthologies in a program that also included poetry readings in Shuar and Guaraní by authors María Clara Sharupi Jua and Elías Caurey Caurey.

This conference was organized in conjunction with the exhibition, Amazonia Açu, curated by Keyna Eleison, Grace Aneiza Ali, Christian Bendayán, Elvira Espejo Ayca, Diana Iturralde, Miguel Keerveld, NouN and T2i, Mateus Nunes, Luis Romero, and María Wills. The artists and collectives participating in this exhibition include: Danasion Akobe, Angélica Alomoto, Pablo Amaringo, Johan Amiemba, Lola Ankarapi, Chonon Bensho, Darrell A. Carpenay, Elías Caurey Caurey, Colectivo TAWNA, Comunidad Weenhayek, Estela Dagua, PV Dias, Sara Flores, Dawa García, Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe, Shaundell Horton, Sri Irodikromo, Carlos Jacanamijoy, Wilfrido Lusitande Piaguaje, Thiago Martins de Melo, Hélio Melo, Mary Morales Barrientos, NouN, Claudia Opimí Vaca, Bernadette Indira Persaud, Javier Puunawe, Abel Rodríguez (Mogaje Guihu), Aycoobo (Wilson Rodríguez), Nancy Santi, Nelly Sheimi, T2i, Agustina Valera and Oliver Agustín, Gê Viana, and Santiago Yahuarcani.

The exhibition will be on view from September 3, 2025 to April 18, 2026 at Americas Society.

• Visit Amazonia Açu exhibition.
• Follow the conversation on Instagram: @artamericassociety
• Subscribe to Americas Society's Visual Arts YouTube to watch events on the exhibition and other performances.

Funders

The presentation of Amazonia Açu is made possible by generous support from the William Talbott Hillman Foundation, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, the Consulate General of Brazil in New York with Instituto Guimarães Rosa, the Cowles Charitable Trust, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. In-kind support is provided by the Hochschild Correa Collection and Instituto de Visión.

Americas Society acknowledges the generous support of the Arts of the Americas Circle members: Amalia Amoedo, Estrellita B. Brodsky, Virginia Cowles Schroth, Emily Engel, Isabella Hutchinson, Carolina Jannicelli, Diana López and Herman Sifontes, Elena Matsuura, Maggie Miqueo, Maria Mostajo, Antonio Murzi, Gabriela Pérez Rocchietti, Marco Pappalardo and Cintya Poletti Pappalardo, Carolina Pinciroli, Erica Roberts, Sharon Schultz, and Edward J. Sullivan