Anna Eliza Mortag from Brazil presents a new perspective on art and sustainability in her exhibition "Garden of Minerals," taking place at the Abu Dhabi Arts Foundation. The exhibition started on December 19 of last year and runs until February 16 of the following year.
Anna reprocesses materials typically chosen, using waste from the mining industry as raw material for creating natural dyes. She transforms them into non-toxic paints, filled with life.
"The idea of producing dyes from mining waste arose from my personal necessity due to my heightened sensitivity to traditional paints, which contain harmful chemical substances," said Mortag. She noted that dyes, which are the most valuable raw materials for paints, are always present in mining products and soil from Minas Gerais in Brazil, producing large volumes of mining waste.
In the exhibition, Mortag creates a visual and symbolic narrative about permanence, departure, and interaction with natural forces. The canvas of colors and tones of earth, extracted from mining waste in Minas Gerais, combined with golden hues, inspired by the dunes in the UAE, aims to create a wide spectrum of colors.
The exhibition aims to draw attention to sustainable development and the understanding of the value of materials derived from waste. It also seeks to promote reflections on the interconnections of materials, nature, and waste, contributing to expanding the dialogue between cultures, uniting the UAE and Brazil, regardless of the geographical distance.
