Archives of Brazil: History, Culture, and Citizenship
Discover the historical and artistic archives at the Banco do Brasil.
The Bank and Brazil
The Banco do Brasil has supported Brazil from the day the Portuguese Royal Family arrived in Rio de Janeiro right up until the present day. The exhibition Archives of Brazil: History, Culture, and Citizenship offers a reflection on the country's society, economy, and culture over this period of more than 200 years by bringing together events, artworks, and impressions that help interpret this partnership.
The history of the Banco do Brasil and Brazil's socio-economic development are inseparable. Spanning the time from the first Brazilian coins to the online world of today, the items on display reveal this shared history.
The Banco do Brasil is also part of Brazilian sporting history, having enjoyed one of the longest-lasting corporate partnerships in sport. The display case contains items autographed by various athletes.
Archive
Seeking to make their offices and branches more welcoming and to encourage artistic creation in Brazil in the 20th century, the Banco do Brasil brought together a unique collection of works, helping the bank to enhance art appreciation, culture, and Brazilian memory. Nowadays, the public can visit this archive free of charge at the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center in Brasilia. The collection features many Brazilian art forms from the 20th century. There are works connected to Brazilian Modernism, an abstract approach based on geometric features, Abstractionism, and more.
The second room in the museum hosts small, temporary exhibitions. Currently on display is the Ogum's Compadre (O Compadre de Ogum) exhibition, with engravings by Carybé.
The exhibition presents a set of moving images, depicting scenes from daily life in Bahia, as described in the words of Jorge Amado. These include christenings, Candomblé religious ceremonies, scenes from bars, and suchlike.
A teacher in Brasilia called Lourenço was invited to produce a work with students from his workshops. It was made using pigment powder, fabrics, and carpenter's glue and these all create different sensations.
The collection includes works by Niemeyer, Athos Bulção, and Burle Marx. In the case of Athos, the prints are reproductions of tile patterns created for various buildings in Brasilia, where they help define the urban landscape.
The museum has works by the Brazilian artist Di Cavalcanti, one of the great icons of the Modernist movement. His sensual esthetic seeks to construct a national identity.
Francisco Stockinger was one of the main modern sculptors in Brazil. Much of his work centers on metal sculptures and wood engravings.
Miguel dos Santos is a Brazilian artist and his sculptures focus on magic realism and are based on myths from the Northeast. He explores the figurative composition of mythical animals.
