CAIXA Cultural Belém presents “Spirits of the Forest: MAHKU” during COP30

Exhibition features 30 works by the Huni Kuin collective MAHKU, celebrating art, ancestry and sustainability in the Amazon.

During COP30, CAIXA Cultural Belém hosts the exhibition “Spirits of the Forest: MAHKU”, curated and organized by Aline Ambrósio. The show presents around 30 new works by the MAHKU – Huni Kuin Artists’ Movement, and is part of the cultural circuit accompanying the global climate conference in Belém, the symbolic capital of Brazil during the event.

Art, ancestry and sustainability

Composed of seven artists from the Kaxinawá Indigenous Land in Acre, the MAHKU collective channels the sale of its paintings toward buying land around Huni Kuin villages, protecting both the Amazon Forest and its people. Guided by the motto “sell paintings, buy land”, their art becomes a tool for environmental preservation and Indigenous sovereignty.

“MAHKU’s art is the voice of the forest itself. Their works translate sacred chants into images and colors, invoking balance, healing and preservation,” says curator Aline Ambrósio.

The spirit of the forest through color and sound

Among the highlights is a new series of paintings that visualize Huni Meka chants, especially healing songs. Each work acts as a portal for meditation and connection, evoking rivers, trees, animals and sacred beings. According to Ibã Huni Kuin, “MAHKU’s art is a call to listening, healing and preservation — it’s the forest’s spirit speaking to the world.”

The exhibition also includes educational activities such as talks, workshops and cultural mediations designed to bring audiences closer to Indigenous worldviews and environmental consciousness through art.

About the curator

Aline Ambrósio is a Tupi-Guarani curator, researcher and exhibition designer. A master’s student at FAU-USP, she focuses on contemporary art, nature and decolonial practices. Her work includes projects with Pinacoteca de São Paulo, CCBB, IMS, SESC-SP and Museu Oscar Niemeyer, and recent exhibitions such as “Despertar à Terra” (2025) and “Kapewe Pukêní: Huni Kuin Crossing Worlds” (2024).

Service

Exhibition: Spirits of the Forest: MAHKU Curator and Organizer: Aline Ambrósio On view: until January 25, 2026 Venue: CAIXA Cultural Belém – Av. Mal. Hermes, S/N, Warehouse 6, Porto Futuro II, Umarizal, Belém – PA Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 AM–10 PM; Sundays and holidays, 12 PM–10 PM Free admission Sponsorship: CAIXA Econômica Federal and Federal Government Social media: @espiritosdaflorestamahku | @caixaculturalbelem