02/07/2026
Rituals of Beauty
Feather and Painting: Body Decoration in the Amazon
Photo Exhibition
Opened on 18 May 2026 at the Museum of Ethnography, Budapest, Rituals of Beauty presents photographs by Belgian cultural anthropologist Gustaaf Verswijver and his wife, Martine de Roeck, introducing the body decoration, ritual attire, celebrations, and concepts of beauty of the Amazonian mẽbêngôkre (Kayapó) community. Created in collaboration between ATELIER DE_VISION and DE_FORM, the project connects graphic design, architecture, and scenography within a unified spatial narrative. The visual system draws on the patterns of body painting and the circular forms of feather ornaments, using vivid tones in communication materials and deeper atmospheric colours in the exhibition space. The spatial design creates a gradually unfolding environment in which the photographs remain the protagonists. Large-scale background images, framed works, sightlines, angled compositions, and colour-coded thematic units guide visitors through body painting, feather ornaments, ritual attire, ceremonies, and everyday life, culminating in a central immersive installation.
Client:
Museum of Ethnography, Budapest
Year:
2026
Chief curator:
Szeljak György
Curators:
Csorba Judit Dorottya, Danó Orsolya
Photo consultant:
Gellér Judit
Exhibition design:
ATELIER DE_VISION
(Nóra Demeczky, Dávid Tarczali, Júlia Bálint, Andrea Clément)
Graphic design:
DE_FORM
(Enikő Déri, Nóra Demeczky, Zsófia Ecsedi, Rebeka Tarcsa, Lili László)
Image post-production and print preparation:
DE_FORM (László Kőhegyi)
Project manager:
Nagel Edith
Production management:
Kamondi Gabriella
Copy editing:
Szentirmai Dóra
English text:
Király Attila
Videos:
Gustaaf Verswijver; Csorba Judit Dorottya, Szeljak György, Régi Tamás
Video editing:
Nikl Márton
Kivitelezés / Exhibition construction:
BK Painters, Cseke Ferenc, Kiss István, Lénárt Zsolt, Szakmáry Béla
Nyomdai és dekormunka
/ Printing and decoration: Expo Dekor Kft.
Világítás- és vetítéstechnika
/ Lighting and projection:
Lipécz Tamás
Rituals of Beauty presents photographs by Belgian cultural anthropologist Gustaaf Verswijver and his wife, Martine de Roeck, introducing the body decoration, ritual attire, celebrations, and concepts of beauty of the Amazonian mẽbêngôkre (Kayapó) communit...