Interview “The forest’s magic nourishes and guides us”

Two indigenous artists – Sunná Máret from Sápmi and Renata Tupinambá from Brazil – talk about their joint residency as part of the ‘Cosmoperceptions of the Forest’ project. In conversation, they share personal impressions, cultural connections and the power of shared experiences of nature.

Can you each tell us a bit about yourselves?

Renata: I come from Rio de Janeiro. I’m a screenwriter, journalist, curator and a multidisciplinary artist. I collaborate a lot with other Indigenous artists, especially musicians. I love creating sounds with them that bring together the different cultures.

Sunná: I’m an artist, curator, storyteller and DJ from Anár, Sápmi. My work is inspired by the energy of my grandmothers, magic realism and by underground culture. I see everyday life itself as a form of art in a hectic, chaotic world.
 
What was important to you about this exchange residency?

Sunná: I want to create a place where people can learn from the land and nature – and where they can also give something back. I designed the residency in Sápmi specifically to encourage exchange between Indigenous peoples. I’ve never been to the Amazon region, but I feel that what connects us is water and rivers. When I welcomed Renata into my home as part of the residency, I realised how important the support of a community is. I called people in the village to borrow winter clothing. My cousin told us how she has been reviving the oral tradition in our family. My partner helped organise trips into the forest and acted as an interpreter.

What were the best moments?

Sunná: Each day, we sat together at the kitchen table, talking and getting to know each other. Renata had brought two maracas with her and she wanted to share their meaning with me. It was a magical moment. Just a week earlier, I’d come across the maracas I used to play with as a child in a cardboard box where I keep materials for my craftwork. I’d wondered whether I would ever use them again – and then, a week later, I got the answer. That was when I realised Renata and I were connected long before we met in person.

Renata: Listening to traditional Sámi songs with Sunná in the forest, I came to understand that these forests – even though they are far from the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans – are more closely connected than I had ever imagined. It’s all about life: life that sustains countless other forms of life – nature itself.
 
What are your key takeaways from the residency?

Renata: A part of me still hears the voices of the North – the gentle rush of water in the land of the Sámi and Sunná’s wisdom. The forest’s magic nourishes and guides those who truly feel and see. The strength of our oral traditions continues to resonate.