Exhibition: Alerta Amazônia – when fabrics speak

Arpillera art has its origins in Chile, where it was used by women during the military dictatorship as a means of silent protest and remembrance. MAB continues this tradition – engaging with the challenges of climate change and environmental destruction in the Amazon region.

Women stand at the center of this movement. As the primary providers of water and food for their families, they are particularly affected by the climate crisis and by ongoing environmental degradation caused by large infrastructure projects and slash-and-burn practices. They are therefore at the forefront when it comes to organizing within their communities and fighting for a better life.

To draw attention to their situation and to express what is difficult to put into words, the women use arpillera art. Despite the repeated disregard for their rights and the uncontrollable conditions brought about by the climate crisis, these women demonstrate the strength and determination to secure the survival of their communities and the forest. The message of the women of MAB is clear:
“We embroider for life!”

In their arpilleras, affected women depict the situation of riverine communities facing severe droughts in recent years, which have been exacerbated by illegal burning. They also denounce the carbon market as a supposed solution to the climate crisis, draw attention to issues of water scarcity, deforestation, and illegal logging, and address the profound changes in people’s traditional ways of life.

The exhibited works are woven testimonies of lived experience. They tell of rivers that are drying up, forests that are burning, and communities struggling for their very existence. Each piece is the result of collective work – every stitch an act of remembrance and resistance.

In total, the exhibition features 15 arpilleras, created in five Brazilian states, with a particular focus on the Amazon region. They tell of families being displaced, of children growing up without access to clean water, and of women coming together to strengthen their communities.

Opening at Franz Schwackhöfer-Haus

With great interest, the exhibition opened on October 1st at the BOKU University Vienna. Around 100 people attended the opening, and by the end of the first day, the exhibition had already welcomed 150 visitors. The event was inaugurated by BOKU Vice-Rector Doris Damyanovic, Erwin Eder (Executive Director of HORIZONT3000), and Elfriede More (Head of Department at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management – BMLUK). Afterwards, indigenous activist, advocacy coordinator at culturalsurvival and academic Edson Krenak gave an expert talk on the role of civil society at the upcoming COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

The exhibition was on display at the Franz Schwackhöfer Haus until November 8 and will return to the Votivkirche Vienna — after stops in Salzburg and Innsbruck — from February 20 to April 26, 2026.

You can find more details here: https://www.alertaamazonia.com

Pictures by MAB/Horizont3000/Christoph Gruber/Boku University