Brazil's Museums And Cultural Centers

Discover some of Brazil's most-visited institutions between 2015 and 2021, according to figures by the Brazilian Institute of Museums, an organization linked to the Ministry of Culture

CCBB (Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil) - Rio de Janeiro (2010-08-02) by Pedro CarrilhoFolha de S.Paulo

Bank of Brazil Cultural Center (CCBB), Rio de Janeiro

On October 12, 1989, the Banco do Brasil—founded in 1808 as the country's first bank—started to invest in culture by setting up its first cultural center in a 1906 building in downtown Rio de Janeiro.

Rotunda do CCBB do Rio de Janeiro (2010-08-02) by Pedro CarrilhoFolha de S.Paulo

With a diverse program on offer, the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center in Rio provides a range of cultural and artistic events, including exhibitions, theater, cinema, visual arts, music, and dance.

Palácio das Indústrias (2011-04-25) by Alexandre RezendeFolha de S.Paulo

Catavento Museum

Opened on March 27, 2009, in the historic Palácio das Indústrias building in downtown São Paulo, the idea behind the Catavento Museum (Museu Catavento) was to enable the general public to learn about science and technology in a way that was fun and interactive.

CCBB (Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil) - Brasília (2011-05-28) by Marcelo CamargoFolha de S.Paulo

Banco do Brasil Cultural Center (CCBB), Brasília

On October 11, 2000, the federal capital Brasília became the second city in Brazil to benefit from a Banco do Brasil Cultural Center. The museum is housed in the Presidente Tancredo Neves building, which was designed by Oscar Niemeyer in the late 1980s.

CCBB (Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil) (2012-10-22) by Lucas LimaFolha de S.Paulo

Banco do Brasil Cultural Center (CCBB), São Paulo

The Banco do Brasil Cultural Center in São Paulo opened on April 21, 2001, with the Metro—The Metropolis in You (Metro—A Metrópole em Você) project, which introduced the public to all the facilities the center has to offer. These include a theater, a cinema, and spaces for exhibitions and debates.

Housed in a 100-year-old building—which the Banco do Brasil originally acquired in 1923 for its first branch in São Paulo—the bank's cultural center in São Paulo helped regenerate the area around the Anhangabaú Valley in the city center.

CCBB (Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil) - São Paulo (2016-05-02) by Eduardo KnappFolha de S.Paulo

The exhibit shows a panel of the facade of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. In 2017, the work was part of the O Triunfo da Cor (The Triumph of Color) exhibition, which displayed 75 works by 22 Post-impressionist artists, including the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, and French painters Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, and Matisse.

Museus brasileiros (2021-08-06) by Tércio TeixeiraFolha de S.Paulo

Museum of Tomorrow

On December 19, 2015, the Museum of Tomorrow (Museu do Amanhã) opened its doors for the first time. It is housed in a slender building, designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, in Rio de Janeiro's port area.

Museu do Amanhã (2015-11-18) by Ricardo BorgesFolha de S.Paulo

The Museum of Tomorrow aims to raise public awareness about the power of human action to transform the world, while also alerting visitors to the importance of sustainability and relationships as essential values in ensuring that civilization can survive.

Folha TV: Museum of Tomorrow

Delivered three years behind schedule, it took 5 years of building works, 55,000 metric tons of concrete, 22,000 metric tons of sand, 4,000 metric tons of steel, thousands of construction workers—one of whom died on site—and almost 300 million Brazilian reais (around 90 million US dollars at the time) to complete the Museum of Tomorrow.

Fachada do Instituto Tomie Ohtake (2021-10-23) by Eduardo AnizelliFolha de S.Paulo

Tomie Ohtake Institute

The result of the partnership between the pharmaceutical laboratory Aché and the architect Ruy Ohtake, the Tomie Ohtake Institute opened in November 2001 in the São Paulo neighborhood of Pinheiros. It provides spaces for architecture, visual arts, and design exhibitions.

Museu Nacional de Brasília (2011-05-28) by Marcelo CamargoFolha de S.Paulo

National Museum of the Republic

Designed by the architect Oscar Niemeyer, the Honestino Guimarães National Museum (or National Museum of the Republic) forms part of Brasília's Cultural Complex of the Republic, along with the Leonel de Moura Brizola National Library and a water mirror.

The complex was opened on December 15, 2006, which was also Niemeyer's 99th birthday. As a tribute, his grandson—the photographer Kadu Niemeyer—presented him with Niemeyer & Niemeyer, an exhibition of pictures of his grandfather's work throughout his career. The National Museum of the Republic has an archive of more than 1,400 Brazilian works dating back to the 1950s.

Fachada do estádio do Pacaembu, que abriga o Museu do Futebol (2018-08-09) by Eduardo KnappFolha de S.Paulo

Soccer Museum

The Soccer Museum (Museu do Futebol) opened on September 29, 2008, beneath the stands of the Paulo Machado de Carvalho Municipal Stadium, better known as the Pacaembu Stadium, in São Paulo.

Museu do Futebol (2008-09-29) by Henrique ManrezaFolha de S.Paulo

With a huge archive of photographs, audio recordings, and videos about the sport, the Soccer Museum was established to tell the story of soccer and its importance for Brazilian culture in an interactive way.

MIS (Museu da Imagem e do Som) - São Paulo (2014-01-12) by Danilo VerpaFolha de S.Paulo

Museu da Imagem e do Som (SP)

With an archive of over 200,000 items including videos, films, photographs, and image and sound equipment, the museum also offers cultural events for all audiences, including cinema, dance, music, and photography.

Parque da Luz (2017-04-03) by Eduardo KnappFolha de S.Paulo

São Paulo Pinacoteca

Founded on December 24, 1905, by the São Paulo government, the São Paulo Pinacoteca is the state's oldest museum.

Museus brasileiros (2023-03-01) by Zanone FraissatFolha de S.Paulo

The Pinacoteca is housed in a building designed by the architect Francisco de Paula Ramos de Azevedo and built in 1900, in the Jardim da Luz park in downtown São Paulo.

Pinacoteca do Estado (2022-03-21) by Eduardo KnappFolha de S.Paulo

It started out with an archive of just 26 canvases, but now has over 10,000 items categorized into sections such as painting, design, sculpture, and photography.

Museus brasileiros (2011-12-08) by Gabo MoralesFolha de S.Paulo

Assis Chateaubriand São Paulo Art Museum

Founded in 1947 by the businessman Assis Chateaubriand, the São Paulo Art Museum was Brazil's first modern museum. Initially in a building on 7 de Abril Street, the museum then moved to its current home on Paulista Avenue in 1968, also in downtown São Paulo.

Museus brasileiros (2013-01-19) by Rivaldo GomesFolha de S.Paulo

Considered to be the most important museum in Latin America, the Assis Chateaubriand São Paulo Art Museum was designed by the Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi. As well as being a milestone in Brazilian modern architecture, the building houses the most important European collection in the southern hemisphere.

MASP (2015-12-07) by Diego PadgurschiFolha de S.Paulo

An exhibit from the permanent collection Acervo em Transformação (Picture Gallery in Transformation), which once again used the museum's iconic glass easels—a Lina Bo Bardi design made from concrete bases and transparent glass plates.

Museus brasileiros (2009-08-12) by Leonardo WenFolha de S.Paulo

Museum of Modern Art of Bahia

Staircase inside MAM-BA, which was designed by Lina Bo Bardi at Solar do Unhão, in Salvador (BA)

Museus brasileiros (2016-05-03) by Ricardo BorgesFolha de S.Paulo

Museum of Contemporary Art of Niterói

Detail of the façade of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói (RJ).

Museus brasileiros (2020-01-21) by Eduardo AnizelliFolha de S.Paulo

Inhotim Institute

Instituto Inhotim, in Brumadinho (MG), one of the most important collections of contemporary art in Brazil.

Museus brasileiros (2013-03-11) by Leo CaldasFolha de S.Paulo

Francisco Brennand Ceramic Workshop (PE)

Sculptures at the Oficina Cerâmica Francisco Brennand, an art museum located in Recife.

Museus brasileiros (2015-06-07) by Karime XavierFolha de S.Paulo

Oscar Niemeyer Museum (PR)     

Facade of the MON (Oscar Niemeyer Museum) in Curitiba.

Museus brasileiros (2008-05-27) by Ricardo JaegerFolha de S.Paulo

Fundação Iberê Camargo (RS)     

Work exhibited at the Iberê Camargo Foundation in Porto Alegre (RS).

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