Presented on the occasion of the Brazil–France 2025 Season and as part of the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the Gardiens de l’Amazonie exhibition is installed outdoors on the most beautiful avenue in the world, the Champs-Élysées, then on the forecourt of the Hôtel de Ville.
It features 32 photographs taken in different regions of the Amazon by French photographer Antoine Olivier and Brazilian photographer João Luiz Bulcão.
Over the course of more than a month of travel, the two photographers explored four distinct regions of the Amazon together, with a shared intention: to bear witness to a human presence capable of living in balance with its environment. Their goal was not simply to demonstrate the dependence of these populations on the forest, but to reveal the forms of collective intelligence, know-how, and resilience that allow these communities to preserve a territory while ensuring their subsistence.
The chosen themes—the seringueiros of Seringal Cachoeira, cradle of Chico Mendes’ resistance; the Satere Mawé and their sacred guarana; the acai pickers of Belém and its surroundings, and the babaçu nut breakers in Tocantins and Maranhão—embody this possible harmonious relationship between human activity and the preservation of ecosystems.
J.L. Bulcão, born in Brazil in 1963, has long worked on socioeconomic and environmental themes.
Now a freelance photographer, he regularly returns to Brazil to develop new personal and documentary projects.
J.L. Bulcão is a member of the Hans Lucas agency.
Antoine Olivier, born in France in 1973.
Since 2003, he has been a freelance designer, leading global design projects, scenography, and photojournalism.
Antoine Olivier – João Luiz Bulcão : Gardiens de l’Amazonie
Until June 20, 2025
Avenue des champ-Elysées, devant le jardin des Ambassadeurs
From June 20 to 24, 2025
Parvis de l’Hôtel de Ville
