Renowned Brazilian photographer highlights humanity's self-destructive nature

By Fatih Turkyilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Sebastiao Salgado, a renowned Brazilian photographer and activist, has warned that humans are the only species with schools dedicated to teaching how to kill their own kind.

“We have enough resources to rebuild the planet, to plant trees everywhere, and to make it habitable again. But what are we doing? We are burning all our resources in wars,” Salgado told Anadolu.

The Brazilian photojournalist is in Istanbul for the "Genesis" exhibition, one of his most enduring projects and is now on display for art lovers in the city.

He expressed his excitement at holding the exhibition in Istanbul, saying: “I’m very happy to be here. I walked a lot in the city. With the support of my dear friend Ara Guler, I lived here for almost two months a few years ago and photographed this city.”

For his project “Exodus,” Salgado photographed nine major cities around the world, including Istanbul.

“It’s a great pleasure for me to return to Istanbul. More than four million people have seen the ‘Genesis’ exhibition so far,” he said.

“Today, we are in search of ways to protect the planet because we are destroying it at an alarming rate,” Salgado added.

His "Genesis" project showcases the planet's unspoiled areas, and he encourages Turkish people to visit the exhibition.

The photographer described how the world is being rapidly destroyed due to industrialization, urbanization, and population growth.

“Carbon emissions on the planet are extremely high, and the changes in the planet’s temperature are leading to major disasters,” he said.

“We are altering our rain systems. There are massive floods and droughts. But even more concerning is that we are losing our biodiversity at a very rapid pace,” he warned.

“This exhibition is part of an effort to inform people about what we need to do to protect the environment,” Salgado said.

- Genesis Exhibition

The exhibition, held at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University’s Tophane-i Amire Culture and Art Center, features 245 black-and-white photographs about the climate crisis and disappearing landscapes.

With striking images that reveal the beauty of the world, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the importance of nature conservation and to understand the fragility of the planet.

The exhibition will be open for three months, through the end of December.​​​​​​​