Period
2021 - ongoing
Proposed by
Kathryn Weir
Location
French Guiana
About the project
AMAKABA is a healing and research center founded by artist Tabita Rezaire in the Amazon rainforest of French Guiana. It is a space where ancestral knowledge, ecology, and spiritual practices merge to create a self-sustaining sanctuary dedicated to collective healing and learning.
Situated on Mont Mahury, AMAKABA preserves 11 hectares of protected forest, integrating agroecological and permaculture principles to cultivate a sustainable cacao farm. Through regenerative agriculture, the project nurtures a medicinal garden that focuses on womb health and natural remedies, alongside plans for expanding into meliponiculture with native bees and natural dye cultivation. Community engagement is central to AMAKABA, with knowledge-sharing initiatives such as the Forest School and collective farming days that reconnect participants with the land while fostering ecological consciousness.
Beyond its environmental work, AMAKABA is deeply rooted in the holistic well-being of the body and mind. The center offers Kundalini yoga as a practice of transformation, emphasising the alignment of the physical and energetic self with the natural world. It also actively participates in the revival of traditional birth-work, training doulas and midwives while supporting families through life transitions such as pregnancy, menstruation, menopause, and loss. In addition to healing practices, AMAKABA explores ancestral cosmologies and astronomy, bridging indigenous and scientific perspectives on celestial cycles.
The Carbet Planetarium, a travelling project, facilitates astronomical observations and storytelling sessions with local elders and astrophysicists, celebrating solstices, equinoxes, and planetary movements as moments of spiritual connection. Through these multidisciplinary approaches, AMAKABA reimagines sustainability, well-being, and community resilience, offering an alternative model for living that blends ancient wisdom with contemporary ecological and social challenges.
External links
About the artist
Tabita Rezaire is a French new media artist, spiritual practitioner, and farmer of French Guianese and Danish descent. Known for her vibrant, multi-disciplinary work, she merges technology and spirituality to address colonial wounds and misalignments. Her work is exhibited internationally and often incorporates video, installation, and healing circles.
