Genesis

Earth eternal

A photographic homage to our planet in its natural state

Sebastião Salgado's photography has always been fueled by a deep love and respect for nature and the awareness of how socio-economic conditions shape our lives. Of the myriad works Salgado has produced in his acclaimed career, three long-term projects stand out : Workers (1993), documenting the vanishing way of life of manual laborers across the world, Migrations (2000), a tribute to mass migration driven by hunger and natural disasters, and this opus, Genesis, an eight-year expedition to rediscover pristine parts of the planet that remain untouched by modern society. « Some 46 % of the planet is still as it was in the time of Genesis, » Salgado reminds us. « We must preserve what exists. » The Genesis project, along with the Salgados' Instituto Terra, are dedicated to showing the beauty of our planet, reversing the damage we have done to it, and preserving it for future generations.

On over 32 trips - on foot, in canoes, even in hot air balloons, through extreme heat and cold and often dangerous conditions - Salgado captured nature, wildlife, and Indigenous peoples in breathtaking resplendence. Using solely black-and-white photography, Salgado instills a glistening, textured fabric so intricate in its weave that even the most finite details seem to extend to infinity.

Edited and designed by Lélia Wanick Salgado, this publication documents Salgado's triumphant and unparalleled Genesis project in five geographical chapters : Planet South, Sanctuaries, Africa, Northern Spaces, and Amazonia and Pantanal. A culmination of almost a decade's worth of travel, energy, and passion flowing into this work, Salgado likens Genesis to his « love letter to the planet. »