2025 Brazil-France cultural season and the Salgado connection.
The rhythms and colours of Brazil feature in the 2025 Paris summer of urban beaches! A deck chair by the Seine river with all the fun and music of Brazil! But the Brazil-France connection is more than a Parisian beach summer.
Brazilian Sebastião Salgado, the world-renowned photographer, has an intimate connection with Paris that dates over five decades. Born in Brazil in 1944, Salgado first arrived in Paris in 1969, fleeing the military dictatorship of his homeland. It was in Paris, amidst the boulevards, cobblestones, and artistic vibrancy, that he began to cultivate his enduring love for the City of Light. He died in Paris on 23 May 2025 at the age of 81.
“I used to look at the map of Paris every day back in Brazil,” he recounts with nostalgia. “I knew the boulevards, the squares, and the churches before I even set foot here.”
This early fascination blossomed into a deep attachment to Paris, which he now considers home.
Salgado’s career has taken him to over 130 countries, capturing the raw beauty and humanity of the world in his iconic black-and-white photographs. Despite his global travels, Paris holds a unique place in his heart. From leisurely walks along the Canal Saint-Martin to evenings at the Opéra Bastille, Salgado treasures the small, intimate moments of Parisian life:
“Paris is a mosaic of villages,” he says, of the city’s unique blend of cultures and communities.
In 2025, Salgado’s passion for Paris will manifest in a new project: a book and an exhibition dedicated to his personal vision of the city. Collaborating with the writer Erik Orsenna, Salgado aims to showcase “My Paris” in a deeply personal perspective that blends his mastery of light, shadow, and emotion with the timeless elegance of Paris. This project, set to debut in 2026, promises to offer a fresh take on Paris, different from the countless images that have sought to capture its essence.
One of Salgado’s most cherished Parisian memories is attending a concert at Notre-Dame Cathedral with his wife. He recalls, “It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever experienced.” The cathedral, along with iconic sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Parc Montsouris, holds a special place in Salgado’s heart, reflecting his deep connection to both the historical and the everyday beauty of Paris.
As Paris prepares to celebrate Salgado’s work, Paris also celebrates his role as a bridge between his native Brazil and his adopted home in France. The 2025 Season of France-Brazil cultural exchange will feature Salgado’s photography prominently, further cementing his legacy as an artist who embodies the universal language of humanity.
Salgado’s Paris is not just a backdrop for his life and work; Paris is his muse. Paris, to him, is a living, breathing muse that continues to inspire him.
Sebastião Salgado’s upcoming exhibition promises to be a tribute not only to Paris but to the enduring relationship between art and place, and Brazil and France – and one to add to the list of must-do activities in Paris in 2025 and 2026.
