The Pelourinho, the historic square at the Heart of the old city of Salvador, the first capital of Brazil, is the center of a remarkable renewal of the art and culture. Once a place used to auction African captives and punish rebellious slaves, the Pelourinho has become the centre of a resurgence of Afro-Brazilian culture and identity. Small museums in the Pelourinho exhibit the religious art of the past and celebrate the folk traditions of the present. Painters and carvers create and sell work to tourists and collectors from small ateliers and informal galleries. The exhibition features work by artists of the Pelourinho and the nearby town of Cachoeira who celebrate the history, experience and traditions of this area of the north-east of Brazil.