The strength and resilience of the culture of the different African peoples who were brought to America is something remarkable, perhaps unique in the history of migration, whether voluntary or forced. Faced with the conditions of oppression and violence imposed by slavery, African cultures not only survived. They took root, created countless resistance strategies, persisted and influenced in such a way that they became predominant in several aspects. From small countries like Cuba and Haiti, to the giants, Brazil and the United States, the African heritage was the source that shaped what was most original and breathtaking in their cultures. Recognition of the impressive strength and importance of black people in the Americas still falls far short of what is deserved and is almost always implicit and punctual. This exhibition is presented as an acknowledgment. It pays a double tribute: to the black people of Brazil and to one of its brilliant figures, one of the greatest photographers in the country. Walter Firmo's extensive work – which begins in photojournalism and goes along many paths, always in an instigating way – can be enjoyed under different aspects. But the main vein of this precious mine of images is that dedicated to blackness. The art, the elegance, the beauty, the knowledge, the empathy, the attitude, the black tradition thrill the photographer, who made his work the continuous exaltation of a people. The abused color, the intense light or the eyes that glow in the dark, the spontaneous or constructed scenes and the beauty of their images produce a feeling of euphoria in us. They capture many meanings. It is impossible to remain indifferent to a photograph by Walter Firmo. His work is already part of our imagination, even without realizing it. Either because he portrayed great Brazilian figures for reports or anthological record covers, or because he presents us with anonymous faces that seem so familiar. Among the 170 photographs chosen for this exhibition, the figure of Joãozinho Trinta, this genius from Maranhão who saw the aesthetic sense and luxury of the black soul like few others, setting up splendid stages so that it could shine. Walter Firmo shows a Brazil full of attitude, culture, spirit and generosity. A Brazil that has always offered much more than it received. A Brazil that resists as its ancestors did. A Brazil that continues to be what it is. A Brazil that deserves Brazil. Paula Porta Curator March 2018