Sebastião Salgado

"Genesis is a quest for the world of origins, the world that evolved over millennia before being confronted with the pace of present-day life, before forgetting what makes us human. Vast, remote regions where, untouched and silent, nature still reigns in all its majesty. It's also a tribute to the fragility of a planet we all have a duty to protect," writes Lelia Wanick Salgado, wife, responsible for the scenography and curation of the exhibitions, and co-founder with Sebastião Salgado of Instituto Terra, dedicated to reforestation and the promotion of sustainable rural development in Brazil's Rio Doce valley.

“Genesis”, Sebastião Salgado's masterpiece created between 2004 and 2012 during more than 30 trips around the world, is currently the most viewed exhibition in the world, beating the record of Edward Steichen's “Family of Man”. The hundreds of images that make up the exhibition question our relationship with the earth and its resources, and awaken our consciences.

To celebrate this extraordinary series of unprecedented scope, Sebastião Salgado produced a portfolio in 2014 featuring 50 Genesis images printed in platinum-palladium. Invented in 1873 by the Englishman William Willis, this unique process gives the print unrivalled beauty and stability. 

The platinum-palladium printing technique was invented in the 19th century and distinguishes itself from traditional gelatin-silver processes by its luminous qualities, wide tonal range, powerful grayscale and ability to render three-dimensional forms with subtlety.

This process, favored by some of the greatest photographers in the history of the medium, such as Irving Penn, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Horst P. Horst and Elliott Erwitt, requires a very high level of technique, and was chosen by Sebastião Salgado to print the most seminal images in his work. Numbered to 16, the platinum-palladium “Genesis” set captures the pictorial richness of Salgado's photographs.

From January 24, 2025, Galerie Polka will exclusively present the 4/16 edition of this portfolio - made up of 50 prints that are normally inseparable. For the occasion of this exhibition, and in agreement with the artist, each print, featuring the most iconic images from “Genesis”, will exceptionally be available for purchase separately.