TERRA ANCESTRAL

Sage Culture is pleased to present Terra Ancestral, an online exhibition that envisions the Earth as a sentient, ancestral force whose natural processes are increasingly stressed by unsustainable resource exploitation in our current era. Current pressures now raise questions about our legacy on both climate and civilization, challenging the shift from the symbiotic relationships that Indigenous peoples maintained with nature to a less harmonious approach that has disrupted cultural orders and contributed to significant environmental and societal challenges.

Terra Ancestral reclaims Earth’s primordial, dynamic wisdom—a force revered by ancient cultures as a living, sacred presence. Reflecting humanity’s evolving relationship with nature, it underscores the Gallery’s commitment to environmental awareness and cross-cultural dialogue.

Terra Ancestral features works by Álvaro Negro, John Pule, Saad Qureshi, Paula Bosco, Mitch Iburg, Carlos Vera, and Lemos & Lehmann. Through natural materials and abstract expressions, these artists investigate spiritual ecology, intergenerational knowledge, and cultural traditions rooted in longstanding interactions with the environment.

The title Terra Ancestral alludes to the planet’s geological strata and evolutionary pathways as a vast repository of wisdom for and from humankind. Over millennia, Earth’s ecosystems have developed remarkable harmony, just as the earliest human cultures advanced diverse practices—ranging from oral traditions and artisanal techniques to scientific and philosophical frameworks—to live symbiotically with natural systems.

Life emerged and evolved through cycles of growth, decay, and renewal, establishing self-regulating ecosystems that have sustained the planet. These natural processes, observed and interpreted by diverse cultures, continue to shape humanity’s collective consciousness, even as our connection to the natural world grows increasingly fragile.

Ancient cultures, in their journeys as nomadic hunter-gatherers, migrated across continents, adapting to varied environments with deep ecological knowledge. Arriving in new lands via natural corridors and land bridges, Indigenous peoples developed intricate systems of ecological knowledge, sustaining themselves through profound relationships with their surroundings.

Centuries later, as human societies entered periods of consolidation and cultural exchange, Indigenous practices were challenged by new waves of migration and colonization. External political and economic forces disrupted longstanding relationships between native communities and their environments.

These encounters led to the displacement of entire cultures and significant disruptions of ancient civilizations, resulting in the erosion of ecological wisdom that had sustained societies for generations.

In light of today’s critical natural and social upheavals—including recent wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles—environmental disasters are unfolding worldwide: Europe endures record heat waves and flooding; Africa faces severe droughts and cyclones; North America struggles with intensifying hurricanes and storms; South America battles large-scale Amazon fires; Asia suffers disruptive monsoon seasons that displace millions; and Australia contends with devastating bushfires.

Simultaneously, social conflicts—including armed clashes, wars, political polarization, and global refugee and migration challenges—compound these issues, devastating communities and ecosystems on an immense scale. The exhibition underscores art’s capacity to deepen our understanding of the delicate ties that connect all life forms

As environmental disasters and conflicts escalate—calling for a renewed perspective, reverence, and responsibility for our shared home—it offers a window into the time-honored wisdom of Earth’s cycles, humankind’s cultural heritage, and the necessity of respectful social exchange.

The featured artists reflect on cultural memory and ancient traditions, using a diverse range of materials—from natural pigments and ceramics to photography—to reveal the cyclical forces underlying both the natural world and human societies.

While Terra Ancestral spotlights contemporary works, it also invokes broader historical and global perspectives. Drawing upon ancient narratives, philosophical texts, and scientific principles, the exhibition situates itself at the intersection of past and present, tradition and innovation. In doing so, it highlights the intertwined arc of human–nature relations that spans centuries and cultures. The exhibition affirms that recognizing the dynamic relationship between natural forces, human innovation, and artistic expression is pivotal to forging a more sustainable future.

As part of Sage Culture’s “Art & Environment Program,” the exhibition fosters rich dialogues between art, ecology, and cultural memory. Merging expertise from environmental studies, cultural anthropology, art history, and related fields, the program explores how artistic practice can engage deeply with ecological stewardship and inherited wisdom. It encourages all generations and disciplines to examine how they inhabit and shape the Earth’s living systems.

Terra Ancestral at Sage Culture stands as a reverent homage to the Earth’s ancient wisdom and a contemplative study of our collective human legacy. By illuminating the interplay of ecological processes and cultural inheritance, the exhibition encourages us to reclaim the balance that has sustained life for millennia and to foster peace among nations and peoples of all origins.

Within these works, the Earth emerges as both muse and mentor—a sentient force that invites us to honor its cycles, protect its future, and inherit the profound knowledge that has guided countless generations before us.