Humus Photography Exhibition Inaugurated at the Maputo Natural History Museum

The exhibition showcases photographs taken in Manica Province, portraying communities, landscapes, and initiatives supported by Italian Development Cooperation. The images document various dimensions of local development, ranging from the promotion of the coffee value chain and the economic empowerment of women to peacebuilding initiatives and sustainable rural development programmes.

The photographs also highlight the agricultural potential of Manica Province and contribute to raising awareness of the future Manica Agri-Food Centre (CAAM), one of the flagship projects of the Mattei Plan for Africa in Mozambique. With an estimated investment of €38 million, the centre is envisioned as a regional hub for the processing, preservation, and distribution of agricultural products, helping to strengthen agri-food value chains and promote regional trade along the Beira Corridor.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of Italy to Mozambique, Gabriele Annis, the Rector of Eduardo Mondlane University, Manuel Guilherme Júnior, and the Director of the Maputo Natural History Museum, Gaby Monteiro.

The title of the exhibition, Humus, derives from the Latin word humus and is intended to evoke, on the one hand, the fertile top layer of soil rich in organic matter, and on the other, the social, cultural, and human conditions that foster the emergence and development of ideas, projects, and opportunities.

Each of the 22 photographs is accompanied by a Mozambican proverb, underscoring the deep connection between agriculture and traditional wisdom, passed down from generation to generation and capable of inspiring communities across borders and through time.

A photojournalist from Rome, Marco Palombi has spent more than thirty years producing photographic and audiovisual reports across various regions of the world. His work has focused on documenting communities, minorities, and social realities throughout Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. In 2023, he received the Anima Photography Award, and in 2025 he presented the exhibition SHAMS in Beirut, dedicated to educational projects supported by Italian Development Cooperation.

On the occasion of the inauguration, Ambassador Annis remarked:

“Those who have visited the fields of Manica know that development cannot be measured solely in numbers, but also in faces, gestures, and words. It is this humus – human before it is agricultural – that Italy has supported for the past fifty years and intends to continue supporting with renewed commitment.”

The exhibition will remain open to the public until 1 July 2026 at the Maputo Natural History Museum, one of the city’s most emblematic cultural and scientific institutions. The museum was restored and reopened in 2025 with the support of Italian Development Cooperation under the RINO Programme – Recovery and Innovation of the Natural History Museum.

The exhibition forms part of the cultural programme MOZITA2026, promoted by the Embassy of Italy in Maputo with the support of Italian and Mozambican companies, including Renco, Inalca, Eni, Cotur, BCI and MSC.

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For further information, please contact:

Lorenzo Vai, Embassy of Italy
lorenzo.vai@esteri.it

Miguel Almeida, AICS Mozambique
miguel.almeida@aics.gov.it
Mobile: (+258) 84 860 5343

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