The Museum of the Amazon opened its doors in Belém do Pará as a unique space that brings together science, art, and sustainability to project the Pan-Amazon region onto the global stage. The initiative, the result of an unprecedented partnership between the public and private sectors, received technical and financial support from CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean – which participated from conceptualization through the design of a long-term museological plan.

Located in the Porto Futuro II complex, the museum was inaugurated by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Governor Helder Barbalho, together with representatives from CAF and other institutions. Designed to become an international reference in innovative and inclusive museology, it seeks to strengthen Amazonian identity and diversity, amplifying the voices and knowledge of the peoples who inhabit the largest tropical biome on the planet.

Before its construction, the initiative was informed by a Listening Plan that gathered perspectives from communities, scientists, artists, and local leaders on memory, ancestry, spirituality, science, and nature. These contributions led to the creation of a plural Curatorial Commission, composed of experts such as Francy Baniwa, Joice Ferreira, and Helena Lima, which guides the museum’s design and programming. A participatory Executive Committee was also formed, with representatives from CAF, the Government of Pará, the Ministry of Science, and the Vale Cultural Institute, among others.

The inauguration featured the international exhibition Amazonia by photographer Sebastião Salgado, presented for the first time in northern Brazil. With nearly 200 black-and-white images, the exhibition pays homage to the rainforest, its biodiversity, and the Indigenous peoples who protect it.

With more than 3,000 m² of exhibition areas and multimedia spaces, the museum aims to be much more than a cultural center: a living platform for knowledge and dialogue on sustainable development, environmental conservation, and regional cooperation. Its opening consolidates Belém as a global Amazonian capital and reaffirms the central role of the Amazon in shaping a more just and sustainable future for the planet.