International exhibition “Mandela, Ícone Mundial de Reconciliação” opens in Belém

On October 1, 2025, Belém will welcome the international exhibition Mandela, Ícone Mundial de Reconciliação. Organized by the Brazil Africa Institute (IBRAF) in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and sponsored by Banco da Amazônia, the exhibition inaugurates the city’s brand-new Banco da Amazônia Cultural Center. Visitors will be able to experience it free of charge through November 30.

Bringing together 50 panels and an audiovisual installation, the exhibition traces Mandela’s remarkable life story — from his rural childhood and student years to his relentless fight against apartheid, 27 years of imprisonment, and his groundbreaking election as South Africa’s first Black president. Designed to captivate audiences of all ages, the show blends photography, text, and multimedia to illuminate the journey of one of the world’s most transformative leaders.

After drawing thousands of visitors in Brasília and São Paulo, the exhibition now arrives in northern Brazil. In Belém, the program will include a special celebration on November 20, Black Awareness Day, featuring educational activities that connect Mandela’s legacy with the ongoing struggles and achievements of Afro-Brazilians.

For Professor João Bosco Monte, founder and president of IBRAF, the exhibition is about building bridges between Mandela’s story and our own. “This is not only about the statesman who changed history, but also about the ordinary man behind it. By presenting his many sides, we remind ourselves that extraordinary change often begins with ordinary people,” he reflects.

Curator Christopher Till — South African and former director of Johannesburg’s Apartheid Museum — underscores the exhibition’s universal message. “Madiba always believed that every individual has the power to change the world. That belief is timeless, and it continues to challenge new generations to think about democracy, justice, and peace,” he says.

Accessible, moving, and thought-provoking, Mandela, Ícone Mundial de Reconciliação promises to inspire Belém with the spirit of one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century.

Details
Location: Banco da Amazônia Cultural Center – Gallery 1 (Avenida Presidente Vargas, 800 – Campina, Belém – PA)
Period: October 1 to November 30, 2025
Free admission, open to all