The history, traditions, affections, daily life, and resistance of the Paiter Suruí people are chronicled through their own videos and photographs, brought together by the Coletivo Lakapoy, a pioneering Indigenous Brazilian audiovisual group. The exhibition showcases over 800 images captured since the 1970s, when cameras first arrived in the Sete de Setembro Indigenous Territory. This forms a unique archival project, developed in close partnership with the community. A development of the 2023 ZUM Grant, it also includes interviews, handcrafted objects, contemporary photographs, and other works.
Online expopaitersurui.ims.com.br | #ExpoIMSPaiterSurui
Press 55 11 3371-4455 | [email protected]
Curators
Txai Suruí, Lahayda Mamani Poma and Thyago Nogueira
Supervisor
Almir Narayamoga Suruí
Coletivo Lakapoy
Ubiratan Gamalodtaba Suruí, Oyexiener Suruí, Gabriel Uchida, Christyann Ritse, Kennedy Suruí, Txai Suruí, Oyago Suruí, Samily Suruí, and Oyorekoe Luciano Suruí took part in this project.
Paiter Suruí, True People: a Coletivo Lakapoy Project
July 26 - November 2, 2025
IMS Paulista
Avenida Paulista, 2424, São Paulo/SP - Brasil
Free admission. Tuesdays to Sundays and holidays 10am–8pm. Always closed on Mondays. Last admission: 30 minutes before closing.
The collective was founded in the Sete de Setembro Indigenous Territory, which spans the Brazilian states of Rondônia and Mato Grosso, and is comprised of Brazilian Indigenous communicators from the Paiter Suruí people and non-Indigenous supporters.
Emerging from a broader movement of cultural and political strengthening, the collective was established following the intense struggles for the demarcation of their territory, a fundamental milestone in Paiter history. As a strategic response to securing their land rights, the Paiter-ey drafted the "50-Year Management Plan", a visionary document that sets out guidelines for the future of the Paiter Suruí, including the formation of their own communication and arts network.
Within this plan, Indigenous youth from the Sete de Setembro land were encouraged and trained in the use of new technologies, with the aim of developing and recording narratives from their own perspective. The Lakapoy Collective has become an essential tool for preserving, strengthening, and disseminating Paiter Suruí culture, promoting their leading role in the production of audiovisual, journalistic, and digital content.
Since its creation in 2022, the Coletivo Lakapoy has continued to grow. Today, the team includes photographers, influencers, producers, and translators, and continues to expand. Their goal is to have representatives in all of the dozens of Paiter Suruí villages, creating a communication network across the entire territory.
Ubiratan Gamalodtaba Suruí, Oyexiener Suruí, Gabriel Uchida, Christyann Ritse, Kennedy Suruí, Txai Suruí, Oyago Suruí, Samily Suruí, and Oyorekoe Luciano Suruí took part in this project.