The Anthropocene: In search of a new human?

We are living in a new era: the Anthropocene. This term is not yet widely used, but it is important that we become familiar with it, given that it concerns us as human beings and defines our current situation. The etymological origin of the word is a combination of two Greek terms: ‘anthropo’, meaning human, and ‘cene,’ meaning new.

The Anthropocene emerged as an interdisciplinary scientific concept that identifies the geological age in which human behaviour on Planet Earth started to have an increasingly significant impact on nature. Faced with overwhelming scientific evidence of the current climate crisis and the crucial need to change the threatened state in which the planet finds itself, we must urgently rethink the relationship between humankind and the universe.

Ever-alert to its surroundings, both externally and internally, art acts as a barometer that is sensitive to society, capturing and reflecting changes, tensions and questions in the world around us.

This exhibition brings together works from the MACAM collection, by various Portuguese and foreign creators, which reflect emotions, attitudes and perspectives using different approaches. It is organised in three sections: the first confronts us with a view of our current context, which (re)positions us in relation to the Cosmos; the second section brings into focus the ontological and ethical questions of human impact on the environment; while the last explores the vital role of the nature around us, which we must learn to respect and defend.

The goal of achieving environmental justice for future generations depends on our willingness to recognise our interdependence with nature, by adopting more sustainable practices and redefining our collective identity as guardians of the planet.