A MATA NÃO PEDE PASSAGEM

April 17th - September 30th Tivoli Avenida Liberdade, Lisbon

A MATA NÃO PEDE PASSAGEM

In Brazilian popular culture, influenced by its indigenous roots, there is a belief that we should always ask permission before entering the sea or the forest. A reverence and respect for the entities that live there – the act of asking permission recognizes the forest as a sacred place.

The exhibition A MATA NÃO PEDE PASSAGEM (THE FOREST DOES NOT ASK FOR PASSAGE) is an ode to the strength and resilience of nature despite its constant erasure by man over the centuries.

Inspired by the image of a flower sprouting from a crack in the asphalt, floral artist Nathan Kunigami found his starting point for developing the two site-specific pieces for the show.

The first installation is intended to arouse the interest and strangeness of those who see it before they even enter the hotel where the installations are presented. It's an amorphous botanical sculpture that invades a space that doesn't belong to it but was once its own. Entitled ‘Davina’, it is a tribute to Kunigami's grandmother, who was always passionate about botany.

The second – a set of three sculptures – elevates what should be earthly. In presenting these floating pieces, the artist proposes a reflection on our relationship with nature.

As in Ikebana, the ancient Japanese art of flower arranging and one of the main inspirations for Kunigami's work, the composition has three elements: ‘Shin’ (Heaven), ‘Soe’ (Earth), and ‘Tai’ (Humanity). The aim of this composition, like an Ikebana, is to find harmony between the three.

A MATA NÃO PEDE PASSAGEM | THE FOREST DOES NOT ASK FOR PASSAGE

From April 17th to September 30th, 2024 Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Av. Liberdade, 185 - Lisbon

For inquiries regarding commissioned pieces, please email us