On 5 November 2015, the Fundão tailings dam, operated by Samarco, a joint venture between Vale and BHP, burst in Mariana, Minas Gerais. More than 40 million cubic metres of toxic mining waste tore through communities, killing 20 people and contaminating the Rio Doce basin all the way to the Atlantic. It became Brazil’s worst socio-environmental crime.
Ten years later, justice has yet to come. Thousands remain without full reparation, their lands poisoned and their rivers still unsafe. The mining companies continue to profit while affected people – Indigenous, Quilombola, and rural communities – carry the weight of loss and neglect.
After the Mud brings their voices to the centre. Through portraits, protests, and landscapes marked by destruction and resilience, the exhibition exposes a decade of impunity and the strength of those who refuse to be forgotten.
This temporary exhibition will be open until 8 December 2025.
Exploring the exhibition:
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