Salvador Bahia Airport Hosts Exhibition on the Memory of Bahia’s Black Population

Salvador Bahia Airport, part of the VINCI Airports network, will host the exhibition “Conecta Fragmentos de Memória: da Bahia para o Mundo” (Connecting Fragments of Memory: From Bahia to the World) from November 6 to 25. Organized by the Pedro Calmon Foundation (FPC), through the Public Archives of the State of Bahia (APEB), the exhibition is located in the Food Court on the terminal’s first floor. It features previously unseen portraits of enslaved and formerly enslaved people who lived in colonial and imperial-era Bahia, recreated using artificial intelligence based on letters of manumission, passports and other historical records. Admission is free, bringing the memory of Bahia’s Black population to one of the state’s main arrival and departure points.

The Exhibition

Based on descriptions of physical characteristics found in the APEB collection, artificial intelligence is used to recreate posthumous portraits of enslaved people. Documentary research, including paleographic transcription and historical validation by consultants, provides the foundation for each image. The documents consulted recover fragments of lives and stories that have often been erased from official historical narratives. For APEB Director Jorge Vieira, the project goes beyond the technical aspect. “This project transforms cold documents into faces full of stories. It is an act of symbolic justice,” he says.

At the airport terminal, the exhibition features banners suspended from the skylight and displays housed in sustainable stands made from recycled paper. The initiative reinforces Salvador Bahia Airport’s commitment to diversity and to the appreciation of Bahia’s history and culture. Since the beginning of its concession in 2018, the airport has maintained a Diversity and Inclusion Committee and related policies, conducted ongoing training for employees and the airport community, and provided a confidential channel for reporting and investigating complaints, in accordance with VINCI Airports’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy for its airports in Brazil.

“An airport is a city’s gateway and has a role in showing the world who that city is. By bringing this memory into a high-traffic space, Salvador Bahia Airport recognizes that Bahia’s history and culture, largely shaped by its Black population, belong here. The exhibition offers passengers, visitors and employees an experience that brings together knowledge, art and racial awareness, while continuing the airport’s commitment to diversity and inclusion,” says Daniela Franco, Communications Manager at Salvador Bahia Airport.

The Conecta Fragmentos de Memória project aims to expand the exhibition and take it to the capital’s main arrival, departure and connection points. In addition to the airport, the exhibition is being presented at the bus station, metro system and VLT light rail network through panels, screens, displays and audiovisual content.

Talk: Memory Connects Us

On November 12, Salvador Airport will welcome guests for a discussion on ancestry, history and the voices Bahia needs to hear. Videos from the Vozes do Fragmento (Voices of the Fragment) project will also be screened.

Event Information

Exhibition: Conecta Fragmentos de Memória

Location: Food Court, Salvador Airport, 1st floor
Dates: November 6–25, 2026
Admission: Free

Memory Connects Us: A Conversation About Ancestry, History and the Voices Bahia Needs to Hear

Date: November 12, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Airport auditorium, 2nd floor
Admission: Free (subject to auditorium capacity)