Daiara Tukano's Monumental Mural Honors Ailton Krenak in São Paulo's Anhangabaú Valley

A monumental 30 by 25 meter mural titled 'Sol do Meio Dia' was inaugurated in São Paulo's Vale do Anhangabaú on April 19, coinciding with Indigenous Peoples' Day. Created by indigenous artist and activist Daiara Tukano, the work pays tribute to influential indigenous thinker and leader Ailton Krenak. The mural installation on the facade of Edifício Guanabara along Avenida São João transforms the urban center into a symbolic space of indigenous memory and resistance. This project launches the Indigenous Turn (Virada Indígena) program, which includes the free event 'Palavra Viva – Arte, Pensamento e Ancestralidade' at Praça das Artes featuring discussions and activities connecting contemporary art with ancestrality. Production was managed by Eduardo Saretta and André Firmiano, with execution by artists Raphaela Loss, Dinorah Cristina, and Wallace Mageste. The Sustainable Turn (Virada Sustentável) initiative organized the installation to highlight indigenous leadership in urban areas historically connected to ancestral territories. Krenak, recently elected as the first indigenous intellectual to the Brazilian Academy of Letters, has gained international recognition for his environmental and societal reflections. Tukano's practice consistently merges art, research, and activism focused on indigenous rights and memory preservation.