A fantastic exposition about an even more fascinating place!

On the 19 th of September 2020, my girlfriend and I visited the Benedictio IV Exposition in Delft. This expo is hosted by Natasha Knoppel (who I met in person!) and is named Benedictio IV meaning Blessing in Latin.

The exposition is about the Amazon rainforest in the 3 Guianas. It highlights the problems in this rainforest through art and the lectures will give us information on how to do things differently! Although I’m not into art this exposition has given me a good view of what art entails! While looking at all the art pieces, the visitor gets the chance to listen to podcasts which give you the insights behind the paintings! This is very inspiring and has given me an inside of why the artist has chosen to portray that painting!

The lungs of the world are in danger!

The ecosystem of the Amazon rainforest is endangered! This is due to, animal poachers, gold miners and sadly us, being the big consumers!

I have learned that the mighty Amazon jungle is full of wonderful animal species, however many of them are endangered! I did not know that! Did you? For example, the Jaguar, the boss of the jungle! In China, it’s meat is thought to have healing powers. On the black market in China, the poachers can earn up to €2.400,- for a little bit of Jaguar paste! That’s why unfortunately hunting Jaguars is so attractive to poachers.

Unfortunately, poaching is not the only problem that the Amazon Rainforest is facing at the moment. This jungle is full of gold and that’s why you have large corporations and small gold diggers who are trying their luck! Because of the fact that the gold mining takes place in the rainforest the real gold, ”our wonderful rainforest” is being destroyed! The gold mining is often performed by using mercury and this is most harmful to the whole ecosystem including the rivers, animals and Tribal & Indigenous people!

If you thought that these problems were not enough, one of the biggest problems in the Amazon rainforest has to do with our consumption!… Our supermarkets are full of products that contain palm oil and soya. So the jungle becomes a place where farmers grow these products and these large biodiverse areas make it unliveable for the animals within the ecosystems.

This expo makes the Amazon rainforest comes to life in Delft!

Due to the Corona, we can not travel but this expo brings the Amazon to you! This expo in Delft is a tribute to the Amazon Rainforest and the section about the threats had the biggest impact on me! Information about this amazing jungle in South America is given through podcasts. Lectures during the month of September and October will give this expo also more depth. So enough reasons why we should keep it sustainable and save the lungs of the world! Don’t you think? Did I spike your interest about the mighty Amazon jungle? Visit the Benedictio IV exposition and see for yourself! The exposition is open until the 31^st of October 2020. Get your tickets and for more information go to https://www.natashaknoppelart.com/event/benedictio-iv/. Psst ..do not miss the art at the entrance that is combined with Delfts blue, which will be permanent! and Corona rules apply!

Listen here to a podcast of the expo: