From depictions of lush landscapes to stark commentary on environmental degradation, the “LatinoAmericano” exhibition at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) offers a powerful look at Latin American artists’ engagement with nature and their visions for the planet’s future.The “LatinoAmericano: Modern and Contemporary Art from Malba and Eduardo Costantini Collections” is a collaboration between Qatar Museums (QM) and the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (Malba).Featuring around 170 works by more than 100 pioneering and contemporary artists from across Latin America, the exhibition will be on view until July 19.According to the QM, one prominent theme of this exhibition is the interconnectedness of all living things, reflecting indigenous ecological beliefs.Modern Latin American artists, breaking free from the “colonial gaze” that shaped earlier representations of the Americas, sought to capture the exuberance and diversity of their environments.Cuban artist Wifredo Lam, for example, incorporates imagery from sugarcane, palm leaves, and the Caribbean light, merging plant, animal, and human qualities to celebrate his Afro-Cuban heritage.“Everything is interconnected; a living organism” is the overarching theme portrayed by many artists.Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe stresses this “communal ecological belief system”, while Hakihiiwe and Mogaje Guihu (Abel Rodriguez) create touching records of their environments, combining botanical knowledge with ancestral practices.The exhibition, the QM noted, also confronts the pressing issue of environmental degradation.Nicolas Garcia Uriburu’s colourised interventions on water in the mid-1960s drew attention to global water pollution, while Monica Giron focuses on the transformations of the environment and the “fluid relationship between the planet and the self”.The QM pointed out that “LatinoAmericano” highlights the evolution of Latin American art, including the radical shifts in visual language that occurred in the second half of the 20th century.Artists like Martin Blaszko, Juan Mele, and Diyi Laan challenged traditional artistic disciplines.Lygia Clark’s interactive Bichos series and the kinetic art of Gregorio Vardanega, Julio Le Parc, and Martha Boto further expanded viewer engagement, offering participatory experiences.The exhibition also digs into the role of art as a tool for revolution and social change.The Mexican Revolution inspired artists like David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera to create large-scale murals focused on revolutionary struggles and indigenous cultures.Similarly, artists during the dictatorships of the 1960s and 70s, like Cildo Meireles and Eugenio Dittborn, used their art to protest oppression and injustice.According to the QM, “LatinoAmericano” offers a rich and multifaceted exploration of Latin American art, highlighting its engagement with pressing social and environmental issues, its innovative artistic practices, and its powerful voice in shaping identity and driving change.This is the first major exhibition in the West Asia and North Africa region dedicated to Latin America’s modern and contemporary art.The QM said that “LatinoAmericano” is organised into six thematic sections, and underlines a unique cultural exchange between Qatar and Latin America.It serves as a centrepiece of this year’s Qatar-Argentina and Chile 2025 Year of Culture.