Siamo Foresta: Indigenous Art and Rhizomatic Connections at Triennale Milano

Triennale Milano, in collaboration with Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, presents 'Siamo Foresta' (We Are Forest), an exhibition exploring human-nature interdependence through an Indigenous lens. Curated by anthropologist Bruce Albert and Hervé Chandès, the show features artists from South American rainforest communities, including Nivaklé artists from the Paraguayan Chaco such as Efacio Álvarez, Angélica Klassen, Esteban Klassen, and Floriberta Fermin, whose bichromatic drawings depict animal and plant forms. Brazilian artists Solange Pessoa, Bruno Novelli, and Alex Cerveny are also featured, with Cerveny's works reimagining Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man as a plant-human hybrid. The exhibition includes collaborations between established artists and Indigenous creators: Cai Guo-Qiang with Yanomami artist Ehuana Yaira, Adriana Varejão with Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe, and Fabrice Hyber with Joseca Mokahesi. The dynamic installation is designed by artist Luiz Zerbini, with tropical plants creating corridors and video works documenting Indigenous creative contexts. The exhibition challenges anthropocentrism and Western-centric art hierarchies, aligning with the theme of Adriano Pedrosa's 60th Venice Biennale, 'Stranieri Ovunque' (Foreigners Everywhere), announced during the opening. The show runs at Triennale Milano.