Bené Fonteles

Born in Bragança, Pará, in 1953, Bené Fonteles began his career in Fortaleza in the 1970s, living there until 1975 and working as a visual artist, songwriter, journalist and editor; at 18, he was already exhibiting at a national salon held in Ceará. In 1974, he met Gilberto Gil, and their friendship developed into a partnership in music and environmental advocacy. His first LP, released in 1983, featured guests including Luiz Gonzaga, Belchior, Egberto Gismonti, Tetê Espíndola and the duo Luli e Lucina. During the same period, he directed a museum at Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, and in 1986 he founded Movimento Artista pela Natureza. He participated in five Bienais de São Paulo and, in 2016, created an installation with Ailton Krenak.