Marcos Zacariades' Cultural Activism in Igatu's Galeria Arte & Memória

Marcos Zacariades, 63, abandoned a banking career at 36 to study at the Escola de Belas Artes da Universidade Federal da Bahia, later founding Galeria Arte & Memória in 2002 within the abandoned mining town of Igatu, Chapada Diamantina. This remote gallery, situated in a district of Andaraí with only 400 residents, actively programs contemporary art while preserving local memory. Zacariades' practice integrates community engagement, as seen in his 2007 site-specific installation "Penitentes da memória coletiva" at Gruna do Brejo, where four miners sculpted 44 clay bodies for a memorial. His 2003 work "Para uma criança em Bagdá. Ano 2003 DC" involved 19 children collecting eucalyptus caps. Despite isolation, he received a 2007 residency at Taipei Artist Village and a 2013 residency at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center in Italy. His collaboration with winemaker Fabiano Borré led to the exhibition "O tempo espelhado" at Vinícola UVVA, visited by curator Paulo Herkenhoff, who is preparing a book on Zacariades. The gallery houses two contemporary art rooms, one permanent and one for temporary shows.