The exhibition “just one world” invites the public to immerse themselves in the uniqueness of the photographic work of Derek Charlwood, a scientist and artist who, throughout his life, combined two seemingly distinct passions: medical entomology and photography.

Charlwood devoted decades of his career to studying the ecology of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes, travelling to remote villages and regions in Africa, South America, Oceania and Southeast Asia. But beyond science, his gaze also captured the human essence of the places he visited. Armed with a camera, he transformed his fieldwork into a sensitive record of the daily lives of the people he encountered, revealing the simple and unexpected beauty that emerges when we take the time to observe.

Inspired by poets and philosophers such as Fernando Pessoa, Charlwood reflects on the nature of beauty and its spontaneous discovery. ‘If we don’t look for it, we find it,’ he writes, reminding us that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This perspective is also close to Zen wisdom: ‘Life without purpose loses its meaning.’ His scientific purpose – to understand disease-carrying insects – gave him access to a broader dimension: the understanding that, regardless of geography or social status, we all share the same humanity.

“just one world” is, therefore, more than just an exhibition of documentary photography. It is a humanistic testimony that echoes the tradition of great post-war masters of photography, such as Sebastião Salgado. In the faces, expressions and gestures captured by Charlwood, we find not only the rigour of a documenting scientist, but above all the empathy of someone who recognises, in each individual, the universal dignity of the human condition.

The title of the exhibition echoes a fundamental conviction: we are, in fact, just one world. Science taught him the interdependence of species and ecosystems; art showed him the universality of emotions and human relationships. Together, these two dimensions construct a powerful narrative about unity, respect and sharing.