Presented as part of the France-Brazil Season 2025, the exhibition explores water as a living archive that connects histories, ecologies, and futures across continents.
Installation view of ‘Groundwater: Narratives of Confluences’ at Frac Poitou-Charentes. Courtesy of Frac Poitou-Charentes.
The Tomie Ohtake Institute and Frac Poitou-Charentes have partnered to present ‘Groundwater: Narratives of Confluences’, a significant exhibition that weaves together artistic perspectives on water, memory, and ecology. The exhibition first ran at Frac Poitou-Charentes in Angoulême, France, from 23 May to 28 September 2025, and will soon open at the Tomie Ohtake Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, from 13 November 2025 to 1 March 2026.
Curated by Ana Roman, Catalina Bergues and Irene Aristizábal, ‘Groundwater: Narratives of Confluences’ brings together twelve artists from France and Brazil, reflecting on the shared environmental and cultural narratives that flow through rivers, landscapes and human histories.
Art, Water and Connection
Conceived as an imaginary dialogue between two river systems — the Charente River in western France and the Tietê River in São Paulo — the exhibition foregrounds how rivers act not only as ecological arteries but also as living repositories of collective memory and identity.
The participating artists — Marcos Ávila Forero, Minia Biabiany, Vitor Cesar & Enrico Rocha, Coletivo Coletores, Julien Creuzet, Traces of Diogenes, Davi de Jesus do Nascimento, Barbara Kairos, Daniel de Paula, Shivay La Multiple, Capucine Vever and Luana Vitra — present works spanning installation, sculpture, video and performance. Four of these artists — Vitor Cesar & Enrico Rocha, Julien Creuzet, Barbara Kairos and Daniel de Paula — created new commissions especially for the exhibition.
Rivers as Witnesses
At a time of accelerating climate change, Groundwater reflected on water as both a material and a metaphorical force. The works explored issues of scarcity, extraction and infrastructure, alongside narratives of survival and repair. By bringing attention to the rights of rivers as living beings, the exhibition positioned water not merely as a resource but as a participant in human and non-human histories.
“’Groundwater: Narratives of Confluences’ highlighted artistic practices that recognise waterways as living entities, ancestral witnesses and agents of transformation,” the curators note. “Through these works, we see how artists navigate environmental, historical and social confluences — tracing currents that connect people, places and times.”
An Artistic Dialogue Between Continents
Presented as part of the France-Brazil Season 2025, the project reflects a deep collaboration between two institutions committed to addressing global ecological concerns through contemporary art. It connects French and Brazilian contexts through the shared lens of water, exchange and interdependence — underscoring the cultural and political importance of collaboration across borders.
Following its presentation in France, the exhibition now travels to São Paulo, extending the dialogue between the Charente and Tietê Rivers into new cultural and geographical terrain.
About the Institutions
Frac Poitou-Charentes (Fonds régional d’art contemporain) is a regional contemporary art fund in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, dedicated to the diffusion, acquisition and preservation of modern works.
The Tomie Ohtake Institute, based in São Paulo, is one of Brazil’s leading contemporary art institutions, known for its cross-disciplinary exhibitions that connect art, education and environmental awareness.
The project is co-produced by Frac Poitou-Charentes, the Tomie Ohtake Institute and the Institut Français, with the support of the Institut Guimarães Rosa, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emgea, and the Ministry of Culture through the Federal Law for Cultural Incentive.
‘Groundwater: Narratives of Confluences’ was on view at Frac Poitou-Charentes, Angoulême, France (23 May – 28 September 2025) and opens next at the Tomie Ohtake Institute, São Paulo, Brazil (13 November 2025 – 1 March 2026). For more information, visit www.institutotomieohtake.org.br or www.fracpc.fr.
