Sebastião Salgado, one of the world's most renowned photographers, did not always begin his career with a camera. In the early 1970s, he worked as an economist at the International Coffee Organization when a book gifted by his wife, Lélia, forever changed his life path and his perspective on photography.
This book, 'Vanishing Africa' by Kenyan and Italian photographer Mirella Ricciardi, had such a profound impact on the Brazilian that it became the decisive impetus for him to dedicate himself to the art form that defined the subsequent decades of his life.
The current exhibition, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Mario Cohen Gallery in São Paulo, presents a meeting between the works of Ricciardi and Salgado. It is a dialogue between the photographs she took in Africa and those Salgado captured in the Amazon.
The Elegance of the Gaze
This immersion into an aspect that returns to the roots of the Brazilian's creativity, who passed away in May 2025 at the age of 81. The exhibition, which has free entry, began at the end of September and will be available for visits until November 11.
The main themes of the exhibition are Ricciardi's book 'Vanishing Africa' itself and Salgado's 'Amazônia' works. Curated by Lillian Passe, 'The Elegance of the Gaze' contrasts 17 photographs from the two artists while simultaneously offering a conversation and highlighting the authorial identity of each. Furthermore, they demonstrate commonalities in how they view the peoples immortalized by their lenses.
Among the main exhibits, some images by Mirella Ricciardi are being shown in Brazil for the first time.
Passe explains in the curatorial text presenting the exhibition: 'Here we want to emphasize the similarities, especially both of their sensitivity to the lighting of authentic elegance emanating from nature and the depicted people, whether it is a gesture, an ornament, or each person's relationship with their territory.'
Venue
The exhibition takes place at the Mario Cohen Gallery, located at Rua Cap. Francisco Padilha, 69 – Jardim Europa, in São Paulo. It is open from September 29 to November 11, 2026, operating on Tuesdays and Thursdays (from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM), Fridays (from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM), and Saturdays (from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM).
Cost
Access to the exhibition is free. Additional information is available on the official website of the Mario Cohen Gallery.