Coronacene

In partnership with Estúdios Globo, GloboNews and Fiocruz, the Museum of Tomorrow presents the temporary exhibit “Coronacene – Thoughts in Times of Pandemic”. Come and discover the impact of the pandemic and solutions for the future in this virtual version!

By Museu do Amanhã

Temporary exhibit

Skyline of Sao Paulo (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

A comprehensive view 

“Coronacene” considers 6 areas, which show the impact from Covid-19, the role of science, struggle, and mourning. The exhibit was inaugurated in March 2021, with Luiz Alberto Oliveira, Leonardo Menezes, and Eduardo Carvalho as curators.

Memorial at Coronaceno exhibition (2021) by Albert AndradeMuseu do Amanhã

Turning point

Microorganisms have always shaped human history. Just like the Black Death, the Spanish flu, and HIV. 
In 2020, the new coronavirus affected us all. 
Will life ever be the same as it was before? 
Do we want that? 
Will this struggle prepare us for other global challenges, such as the climate change?

Visual representation of SARS-CoV-2 virus (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

Manifesto

We beheld most of 2020 through the windows of our homes. 

We talked, we cried, we had fun, we distracted ourselves, we felt fears and longings, we rediscovered ourselves, and we adapted. 

We persisted. 

We needed to keep ourselves in our private spaces. 

There, we were safe.

Meanwhile, essential workers set out to protect us, working in hospitals, supermarkets, and pharmacies; televising news, delivering orders, and researching in labs. 

The outside world carried on, albeit differently.

We saw our relationships in a new light. 

We realized we can always find time for ourselves, help someone and live together with those we love.


Life needs to go on, and the future will be brighter if we respect the planet’s limits. We are all connected.

The pandemic has shown us that it is time we learn from science and reexamine actions affecting biodiversity. 

The virus will continue, and it is up to us to work together to overcome it. 

When all of this is over, we want a Tomorrow that is more sustainable, less unequal.

Pictures of Paris, Wuhan and Rio show how the pandemic cleared public spaces (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

ESSENTIAL

When everything stopped, they continued because we needed them to. Without these professionals, we would not be able to get medicines, food, access to medication, reliable news and the contents that relieved the stress of the lockdown.

Street cleaner, Fabiano Rocha - Agência O Globo, 2021, From the collection of: Museu do Amanhã
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Scientist, Márcia Folleto - Agência O Globo, 2021, 2021, From the collection of: Museu do Amanhã
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Bus driver, Fabiano Rocha - Agência O Globo, 2021, From the collection of: Museu do Amanhã
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Quite often, routine makes us forget what is essential in our lives. But they are ever-present, especially since 2020, and they have a first and last name. To you, our essential workers, we offer you homage and our heartfelt gratitude!

Doctor, Fábio Motta - Agência O Globo, 2021, From the collection of: Museu do Amanhã
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Delivery worker, Hermes de Paula - Agência O Globo, 2021, From the collection of: Museu do Amanhã
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Pharmacist, Brenno Carvalho - Agência O Globo, 2021, From the collection of: Museu do Amanhã
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Professionals heroes 8 (2021-02-26/2021-02-26) by Bruno KellyMuseu do Amanhã

Vanda Ortega Audio
00:00

Vanda Ortega Witoto

She is an indigenous leader of the Witoto tribe; Vanda helped save many lives in Tribe Park, in Manaus, where 2,500 indigenous people live, from 35 different ethnic groups. She produced masks and collected donations for setting up a campaign hospital. Click here to read her testimony.

Visitors in the area Virus Pandemic (2021) by Albert AndradeMuseu do Amanhã

FROM VIRUS TO PANDEMIC

The first records of the SARS CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, are from the city of Wuhan, China in 2019. The initial outbreak among regulars of an exotic-animal wet market suggests that the disease was transmitted by an animal.

Glow-in-the-dark handprints remind us that we're fighting an invisible enemy (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

According to data from the World Health Organization, around 61% of infectious agents are from wild animals. In the case of the novel coronavirus, the carrier is estimated to be bats or pangolins. In spite of the pandemic, wildlife trafficking continues… It seems we have learned very little.

Video Coronaceno Virus - Area 2 (2021-02-26/2021-02-26) by Museu do AmanhãMuseu do Amanhã

This area is partly inspired by architecture models (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

TRANSFORMED SOCIETIES

Have you ever stopped to think you might go through a pandemic? For many, the answer is no. In 2020, companies went bankrupt, businesses closed its doors and our routines were interrupted due to the new coronavirus. Though it seems like a science fiction film, this really happened.

Visitor at the Societies Transformed Area (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

In 2020, 40% of the poorest individuals in Brazil were still recovering from the national political crisis from 2014-2016 (following the impeachment of then-president Dilma Rousseff), according to the World Bank. Now due to COVID-19, over 8 million Brazilians may enter the poverty level.

Video Coronaceno Society - Area 3 (2021-02-26/2021-02-26) by Museu do AmanhãMuseu do Amanhã

The Memorial walls show the names of some of victims of coronavirus in Brazil (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

MEMORIAL TO THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED 

The futures of thousands of lives were cut short without any warning. 
They passed away, reminding us that life must always go on with the utmost respect for one another and nature. 
With this memorial, we pay our respects to the Brazilian people who lost their lives to COVID-19.

To watch this video in English, please click here

Hourglasses (2021-02-25) by Gulherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

"The Two horizons” (Os dois horizontes) - Machado de Assis

Two horizons enclose our life: 
One horizon — longing 
For what has passed; 
Another horizon — hope 
For that which is yet to come; 
In the ever shadowy present, Resides the ambitious soul 
Under the voluptuous illusion 
Of past and future.


The carefree capering of childhood 
Under maternal wings, 
The flight of swallows, 
The surging wave and fields of roses; 
The joy of love so yearned for 
In a deep and burning gaze, 
Such is in present time 
The horizon of the past.

Either the ambition of grandeur 
Silenced in the spirit, 
A desire for sincere love 
That the heart has never felt; 
Or a life both calm and pure 
To the convalescent soul, 
Such is in present time 
The horizon of the future.

In the swift passage of days 
Under the blue sky — such are 
The edges of the sea of life: 
Longing or aspiration; 
To our ardent spirit, 
In the fervor of our dreams, 
Never is the present past, 
Never is the future present.


What consumes you? — Lost 
 In the sea of memories, 
I hear a rueful echo 
Of illusions past. 
For what do you search? — I seek, 
Within this vastness, 
To decipher the sweet reality 
Of the illusions of the future. 

Two horizons enclose out life. 

Machado de Assis, from the book ‘Crisálidas’

Visual representation of coronavirus at the area dedicated to science (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

SCIENCE IS THE PROTAGONIST

During the pandemic, science took its place at the forefront of the response to the coronavirus, developed health guidelines that slowed the infection rate, and prevented healthcare systems from becoming quickly overwhelmed. 
Now, scientists work to develop diagnostics and healthcare products.

Visitors can see equipment used in diagnostic methods (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

Cooperation between scientists, the government and civil society is vital not only for containing COVID-19 but also for other potential diseases that could arise in the future. We must understand that science does not occur overnight, but rather over a long period of time.

Laboratory equipment (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

PANDEMIC AND SYNDEMIC 

We are facing not just a pandemic, but a “syndemic”. The term describes how several factors contribute to the expansion of a disease. The virus does not act alone, but rather jointly with obesity, diabetes, and preexisting respiratory diseases. Due to this, it is necessary to treat chronic diseases.

Scientific equipments (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

COVID-19 disproportionately affects groups who are neglected by society. It is essential to face these social problems for tackling this challenge. Otherwise, we will never be able to fully overcome the 2020 pandemic or other future ills, even with vaccines or medications.

Dra. Marilda SiqueiraMuseu do Amanhã

Marilda Siqueira Audio
00:00

Marilda Siqueira

The virologist is the head of the Respiratory Virus and Measles Laboratory of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute and led a team that became a benchmark for the World Health Organization of Covid-19 in the Americas. Click here to read the report on her participation in the pandemic.

Video Coronaceno Science - Area 5 (2021-02-26) by Museum of TomorrowMuseu do Amanhã

The walls have QR codes on it (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

CULTURE IS THE WAY

The culture industry was one of the first to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In lockdown at home, the way we experience culture changed. 
The search for digital content increased exponentially and artists harnessed the Internet as a catalyst to work around those restrictions.

Videos show the role of arts in times of pandemic (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

Museums are adapting, investing in virtual exhibitions and seeking interactivity with less physical contact. From the songs sung from our windows that marked the initial months of the pandemic, we moved on to live streams that served as a window for escaping from the most difficult times.

This area shows the role of art in times of pandemic (2021) by Albert AndradeMuseu do Amanhã

Culture does not die, but instead transforms. So we continue singing this ode to human resilience, which flourishes even when faced with the most terrible circumstances. Culture and creativity have made us, make us, and will make us become stronger. Always.

Video Coronaceno Culture- Area 6 (2021-02-26) by Museum of TomorrowMuseu do Amanhã

Exhibition entrance (2021-02-26) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

Virtual tour


The time has come for you to explore the pathways of “Coronacene - Reflections in Times of Pandemic”, presents the Museum of Tomorrow, in partnership with Estúdios Globo and GloboNews. 
Just follow the arrows and enjoy the tour!

Tap to explore

Memorial pays homage to people who died from COVID-19 (2021) by Guilherme LeporaceMuseu do Amanhã

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT! 

Remember to wear your masks, wash your hands, and avoid crowds. These small actions makes the difference. Together, we can overcome current challenges. We continue with resilience and hope!

Visitor reads about the impact of the pandemic on people's lives (2021) by Museum of TomorrowMuseu do Amanhã

Click here to read the exhibition credits:

Credits: Story

Coronacene Exhibit – Thoughts in Times of Pandemic 
Cultural Incentive Law 
Conception: IDG - “Instituto de Desenvolvimento e Gestão” (Development and Management Institute) 
Executed by: The Museum of Tomorrow, Rio de Janeiro Municipal Cultural
Department Production: Globo 
Content Support: GloboNews, Fiocruz 
Support: Kasvi 
Executed by: Special Cultural Department - Ministry of Tourism - Federal Government 

Partners of the Museum of Tomorrow 
Cultural Incentive Law 
Patrocinador Master: Santander 
Conception: Fundação Roberto Marinho 
Held by: Rio de Janeiro Municipal Cultural Department 
Supporter: Shell 
Sponsors: Engie, Americanas, IBM 
Strategic partner: Globo 
Administrator: IDG - “Instituto de Desenvolvimento e Gestão” (Development and Management Institute) 
Held by: Special Cultural Department - Ministry of Tourism - Federal Government

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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