Imaginary Atlas, Amazonia

Combining interactive projections, kinetic sculptures, and handcrafted interfaces with real-time digital media, the Atlas challenges dominant urban models and reframes Amazonia as a dynamic, hybrid territory where cities, forests, rivers, and cultures continuously adapt and coexist.

The project unfolds through multiple installations, narrative layers, and long-term collaborations, detailed below.

The Story: A Post-Climate Utopia

Set in Belém do Pará in the year 2125, the story of Imaginary Atlas, Amazônia imagines a post-climate future shaped by water rather than resisted by it. As rising tides transform the city into an archipelago, urban life reorganizes around seasonal rhythms, mobility, and collective adaptation. Guided by the Barqueira, a river navigator inspired by Amazonian “encantarias,” the narrative unfolds through shifting ecologies where city, forest, and river are no longer separate, but deeply entangled.

Open-Source 3D Library

As part of Imaginary Atlas, Amazônia, the project is creating an open-source archive of 3D assets captured through on-site scanning. The collection includes local plant species, architectural façades, cultural and archaeological elements, many of which have never been digitized in 3D before. By focusing on hyper-local content, the library offers a new resource for artists, designers, and researchers. All assets will be available for free download.

Research Continuity and Education

Imaginary Atlas, Amazônia is part of a broader, long-term research initiative that extends beyond the exhibition. The project connects artistic production with urban research and education, focusing on Amazonian cities as sites of experimentation, adaptation, and knowledge exchange.

The exhibition is linked to ongoing research themes and educational programs developed with local institutions, universities, and communities. These include design research on Amazonian urban futures and hands-on workshops that combine media-making, storytelling,