In Memory of Sebastião Salgado
Photographer, Environmentalist, and Member of the SPA Strategic Committee
The Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) is deeply saddened by the passing of Sebastião Salgado, a globally acclaimed photographer and esteemed member of SPA’s Strategic Committee.
Born in Minas Gerais, Brazil, Salgado spent decades documenting humanity and nature through powerful black-and-white images. His work captured the resilience of communities on the margins and the beauty of remote threatened landscapes. From Workers to Genesis, his photographs reflected a profound commitment to justice, social inclusiveness, and sustainability.
Sebastião Salgado’s Amazônia exhibition was one of his most acclaimed and far-reaching projects, experienced by more than 1.5 million visitors around the world. The exhibition highlighted the Amazon’s ecological importance and the critical threats it continues to face from deforestation to climate change, while also bringing forward the perspectives of Indigenous and local communities who live in deep connection with the forest.
Through its immersive and multisensory format, Amazônia conveyed the global relevance of the Amazon region, a view that aligns closely with the SPA’s mission. The exhibition was presented in major cultural institutions, including the Philharmonie de Paris, MAXXI in Rome, the Science Museum in London, SESC in São Paulo, the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, and Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan, among many others.
Alongside his lifelong partner and collaborator, Lélia Wanick Salgado, he also dedicated years to restoring Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Together, they founded Instituto Terra, a reforestation and environmental education initiative that today stands as a symbol of ecological renewal.
His life and legacy were also celebrated in the documentary The Salt of the Earth (2014), co-directed by Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. The film received critical acclaim, including honors at Cannes and the César Awards. It was also nominated for the best Documentary Feature at the 2015 Academy Awards.
In addition to his artistic achievements, Salgado served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and received numerous prestigious awards, including the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund Grant, the Centenary Medal and Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society, and the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. He was also a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts at the Institut de France and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
At SPA, we were honored to have Sebastião’s support and commitment. His unwavering dedication to social and environmental causes continues to inspire our efforts to conserve the Amazon and promote a more just and sustainable future. We extend our deepest condolences to Lélia and his family. Sebastião Salgado’s legacy will endure through his art, actions, and his vision's transformative impact.
