Synopsis
Amazônia is a major exhibition by the award-winning photographer Sebastião Salgado (b. 1944, Brazil). It spotlights the Amazon region and its ecosystems coming under the threat of deforestation and climate change, while featuring the voices, portraits, and perspectives of the Indigenous communities who live in – and with – the largest rainforest on the planet.
This multisensory and immersive exhibition, curated and designed by Lélia Wanick Salgado, comprises over 200 photographs, a soundtrack by Jean-Michel Jarre, two projection rooms, video testimonies from Indigenous leaders, tactile image plates for the visually impaired, and a space dedicated to Instituto Terra, the reforestation non-governmental organisation founded by the Salgados. Amazônia powerfully demonstrates the beauty and majesty of the Amazon region, while issuing an important call to protect and conserve what has been called the “lungs of the world”.
Participating artists/curators:
Sebastião Salgado (b. 1944, Brazil), artist
Lélia Wanick Salgado (b. 1947, Brazil), curator
Jean-Michel Jarre (b. 1948, France), composer
Public programmes:
From Sight to Insight: A photography masterclass by Chris Yap on cultivating an inner vision to portraying nature
Date: 18 Jan 2024, Saturday, 9am to 1pm
Venue: National Museum of Singapore, Basement 1, Gallery Theatre
Join fine art photographer and master printmaker Chris Yap in this interactive session where participants will learn to read, feel, and capture the intrinsic beauty of nature that transcends technical skills, while tapping on a more profound and emotive understanding of visual storytelling.
The session begins with a walkthrough of Amazônia, with highlights from Chris on what makes Sebastião Salgado’s images evocative, paying special attention to the art of “seeing” and “feeling”. He will then share tips and methods such as lighting, texture, composition and capturing emotions, before delving into discussions of selected images and dialogue with participants.
Participants are required to have prior knowledge of and experience working with photography, and should be comfortable discussing their work in a critique session format. Prior to the session, participants are to submit a portfolio of their past works consisting of 5 to 8 colour/monochrome nature images for the discussion. The museum will reach out to registered participants with further information on the submission.
Register your interest here [https://masterclass-chris.peatix.com].
About the instructor
Chris Yap is an artist whose sensitive approach to creation is often silently evocative. As a fine art photographer he belongs to a rare breed of imagemakers blending critical thinking with technical mastery, narrating his stories by exploring the numerous genres of photography to push the boundaries of an image’s expressive capacities. As such, his photographic creations never fail to convey a sense of tactility and drama. He occasionally also dabbles in commercial and editorial photography. Besides photography, he has created bodies of work in sculpture, theatre, paintings and even fashion, art, and music.
Chris has exhibited internationally and locally, at institutions including Musee Du Quai Branly, Baba House, NUS Museum as well as installations at Sculpture Square. As an educator, he has taught photography widely. Since 2005, he has been a Master Printmaker endorsed by Epson, Asia Pacific.