Sebastião Salgado - Éxodos 
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Organizes: Fundación Proa 
Curator: Léila  Wanick Salgado
Sponsor: Siat S.A. - Siderca S.A. - Organización Techint - Kodak Profesional - A division of Eastman Kodak Company – Leica Camera – Fundación Retevision.
Special thanks to: Secretaría de Cultura del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires and Embajada de Brasil.

14 de Noviembre - 11 de Febrero, 2001

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Between novembre 13, 2000 and february 11, 2001 we present the photographic exhibition "Exodos", by Sebastião Salgado.

The 350 photos that integrate the exhibition portray the reality of million of human beings that live at present in conditions of absolute marginalization and misery, in moments where the idea of the welfare of the man, the importance of the scientific advances, and the investigation of the medicine to extend the life times appear as achievements of a new conquest of the civilization. In opposition to this impulse of the culture there is an incomprehensible and opposite reality where recently born children die by absurd events as the lack of drinking water.

This exhibition shows this contradiction, questioning the fate of our civilization and putting in the surface the nonchalance with which are tried these topics, that involve all of us.

At this time when the art is converted in an object of consumption, this sample attempts to put the artistic fact within the framework of the possible relationship among the art and the community commitment.

The exhibition portrays a global image in which million of refugees of the different continents are obligated to live in the margins of the civilization by different reasons: racial, religious, political or economic.

Split into 5 modules, the exhibition has the following organization: "1. Migrants and refugees: the survival instinct", where is portrayed the situation of voluntary migrants and forced refugees that have abandoned their places of origin by various reasons; "2. The African tragedy: a continent adrift", chapter devoted to the critical reality of Africa in which are treated conflicts that go from the genocide in Ruanda until the frustrated prosperity of Angola; "3. Latin America: rural exodus, urban disorder", constitutes an exhaustive document of the emigration of million of peasants toward urban zones; "4. Asia: The world’s new urban face", that faces the problem of the contemporary cities; "5. The children of the exodus", where is portrayed the children’s daily life on the refugees camps.

This work of Salgado was accomplished during the last six years in more than forty countries in order to transmit in his project the world scale that has the migrant process. The exhibition is curated and organized by Lélia Wanick Salgado, who has also designed the books "Exodus" and "Portraits of the children of the exodus".

In the framework of the exhibition, Proa Foundation has invited ACNUR (High Commissioner of the United Nations for the Refugees) that works from 1950s in the refugees help. Institution created by the United Nations (U.N.) to compensate the devastation caused by the World War II, it has had to extend his mandate constantly due to the permanent humanitarian help demand. Currently ACNUR shelters to 22.3 million of refugees the world over. ARCA (Argentinian Foundation with ACNUR) collaborate in permanent form to approach the task of ACNUR to the Argentina.

Trying to collaborate from our artistic occupation in the diffusion of the problems that afflict to million of persons, Proa Foundation is prided in presenting this exhibition and thanks very especially to Sebastião Salgado and Lélia Wanick Salgado, for their permanent support and good will so that this meaningful event could be accomplished. We also thank Organización Techint, for their continuous support.