Who is the Sun? How many narratives do we know about its origin, the origin of the world, and its participation as a vital source of energy? How to respect it? How much of the sun exists in our bodies?

Elements, atoms, molecules, sap, sugar, calories, breathing, atmosphere, global warming, sunscreen, fear, climate, cosmos.
In this cycle, we will follow the sun wayfinding from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge.

The cycle consists of 17 narratives in the languages of Huni Kuï, Guarani, Maxakali, Nheengatu, and Portuguese, told by Kumu Doe Tukano, Carla Wisu, Catarina Aydar, Carlos Papá, Marcelo Gleiser, Moisés and Thõkiriyari Piyãko, Aliny Pires, Francisco and Francy Baniwa, Aza Njeri, Sueli and Isael Maxakali, Fabio Scarano, Dua Busë, Nete Huni Kuï, Veronica Pinheiro, José Miguel Wisnik, Eduardo Neves, Cafira Zoé, Camila Mota, and Júlia de Carvalho Hansen.

Check out the SUN playlist on Selvagem's YouTube channel to watch the episodes. The entire cycle is available with subtitles in Portuguese and English.

PLAYLIST

NOTEBOOKS

IN-PERSON MEETINGS

As part of the Sun cycle, there were also two roundtables in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, which gave rise to four episodes of the cycle.

– The Sun and the jungle

On 14 March 2024, we held the conversation The Sun and the jungle at the Botanical Garden Museum in Rio de Janeiro - the first in-person meeting around the Sun that year, with around 50 people in attendance. Bringing together perspectives from science and philosophy, the roundtable featured talks on photosynthesis, the biosphere and the life force with Aza Njeri, Fábio Scarano and Aliny Pires.

The talk covered various areas, from botany and biology to philosophy and culture, and also included a question and answer moment with the audience. The talks were filmed and gave rise to the episodes with Fabio Scarano, Aza Njeri and Aliny Pires.

Photos: Mauricio Machado

The Sun and the jungle took place in the space of the exhibition Mba'é Ka'á (what's in the forest): Barbosa Rodrigues among plants and shamans, organised in partnership between Selvagem, the Guarani Living School and the Museum, which opened on the day. Check out the article The names of the forest, on ARCA, to find out more about the exhibition.

- Sun and soil

Sun and soil took place on 24 April 2024 at the Oficina Theater in São Paulo. On this open night, around 100 people listened to songs, narratives and speeches by Carlos Papá, Júlia de Carvalho Hansen, Eduardo Góes Neves, José Miguel Wisnik, Cafira Zoé and Camila Mota on a solar tour through astrology, music, literature, theatre, archaeology and other spaces. All the speeches were filmed and make up Message from the Sun, the thirteenth episode of the Sun cycle.

As a small sample of the cycle, we also watched a projection with extracts from the lines of narrators who have already been filmed: Dua Busë, Francisco Fontes Baniwa, Aliny Pires, Moisés Piyãko, Kumu Doe Tukano, Carla Wisu, Fabio Scarano, Sueli Maxakali, Isael Maxakali, Marcelo Gleiser, Aza Njeri, Carlos Papá, Fabiano Kuaray, Leonardo Karai, Milena Djaxuká and Djeguaká.

To find out more, read the article Message from the Sunon ARCA, which reports on the meeting. 

Photos: Jennifer Glass

AN IN-DEPTH MEETING

On 19 September, we also held an online meeting open to the public with Catarina Aydar and Carla Wisu, narrators of the first two episodes of the cycle. The meeting was an opportunity to delve deeper into each narrator's speech and to study the Sun cycle.

To watch the recording of the meeting, send a message to contato@selvagemciclo.com.br.

SUN WAYFINDING

On 17 April, we held the first meeting of the Selvagem Wayfindings, with more than 60 people present, based on the presence of the Sun in the Selvagem cycle and related materials. To access the recording of the meeting, send a message to contato@selvagemciclo.com.br.

Click here to access the Sun Wayfinding map

PLAYING LIGHTS UP THE SUN

In October, the Ways of Knowing group organised a study cycle on the sun with children and teachers at the Professor Escragnolle Dória Municipal School, in sync with the Sun cycle published by Selvagem. Playing lights up the sun proposed a month of activities with 420 children in the Pedreira favela in Costa Barros, Rio de Janeiro.

From 3 October to 5 November, there were 30 workshops, 1 children's book launch, 2 planting activities, 1 trip to Sugarloaf Mountain, 2 musical programmes with singers, recording and photographs taken by the children for a video and exhibition in November and also 1 big party. Throughout the month we had the participation of 10 volunteers and 3 partners (Ateliê OHlograma, Horta Carioca - Fórmula Mágica da Paz and the Bondinho Park at the Sugarloaf).

Photos: Carol Delgado