Admire the Artistic Endeavors at the Sao Paulo Museum de arte moderna

The Sao Paulo Museum de arte moderna was built in 1948, founded as one of South America’s first modern art museums. Put together by the Italian-Brazilian entrepreneur Francisco Matarazzo, the building itself was designed by Lina Bo Bardi and crafted over the marquise of Ibirapuera Park. The MAM wasn’t always where it stands now, since its current location was utilized by the designers to allow its placement over the park marquise to coincide with the Sao Paulo 5th Biennial in 1959.

Its blending into the landscape was done by famous Sao Paulo architect and designer Oscar Niemeyer, ensuring its centralized location within the city. The Sao Paulo Museum de arte moderna certainly has everything for the art-loving visitor – two exhibition halls, a sculpture garden, a technical depository, a work studio, an auditorium for guest lecturers, a gift shop, and a restaurant. In fact, there is a secondary MAM branch inside the Shopping Mall Villa-Lobos called the Sao Paulo Modern Art Museum Espaco Villa-Lobos, in order to help spread artistic and cultural awareness throughout the city.

International shows often can be seen here at the museum, and it is not unusual to observe classes of schoolchildren, hard at work in one of the studio rooms. Teachers can bring their classes to the MAM for art demonstrations and learning times, and even regular visitors can certainly inquire about whether the museum will be running an art class for adults in the near future! One of the more fascinating areas of the museum is also located outside of the building itself, and this is the sculpture garden.

The Sao Paulo Museum de arte moderna sculpture garden is a permanent exhibition that was landscaped by Roberto Burle Marx, and was initialized in 1993. There are 25 pieces on display in an area of 6000 square meters, and this is located on the side of the building near the main office and the Ibirapuera Park pavilions. The garden was created as a way of bridging the boundaries that define the interior and exterior of the museum, thus merging the two areas into one large display of modern art.

Another fantastic thing about the Sao Paulo Museum de arte moderna is its willingness to work with the community of the city and those who area visiting the city. The MAM partners with many companies to allow their employees to visit the museum for free – which means that if you’re in the city on business, you may be able to visit this incredible collection without paying a dime! Also, admission is free for everyone on Sundays, and for those under 10 years old or over 60, admission is always free.

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