Between 13 and 17 February 1922, a group of artists and intellectuals from São Paulo gathered at the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo to propose a renewal of the aesthetic standards of Brazilian art – this was the Semana de Arte Moderna which, now turning 100, continues to be debated and to exert its influence on contemporary artistic production. The anniversary will be marked throughout the year by various cultural institutions in São Paulo. Here, we have put together a selection of some of these events or venues that reference this iconic period of Brazilian art.
Pinacoteca do Estado
Until December, it is presenting Modernismo. Destaques do acervo, in the main building, located in Parque da Luz. Among the more than 1,000 artworks in the long-term exhibition (on the second floor), the museum highlights 134 works by artists linked to Modernism – including the painting Amigos, by Di Cavalcanti, which was exhibited at the Theatro Municipal during the Semana de 22. The selection also includes Antropofagia and São Paulo, both by Tarsila do Amaral; Bananal, by Lasar Segall; and Casal na varanda, by Cícero Dias, from Pernambuco, among others.
The Pinacoteca is open from Wednesday to Monday (closed on Tuesdays). Tickets can be booked online.
(Featured image: Bananal, by Lasar Segall. Oil on canvas. Photo: Isabella Matheus. Press image from the Pinacoteca)
Centro Cultural Fiesp
The venue based on Avenida Paulista is staging, in partnership with the Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros (IEB) at USP, the exhibition Era Uma Vez o Moderno, bringing together around 400 drawings, diaries, photographs and letters from the period, selected mainly from the Mário de Andrade collection acquired by USP in the 1960s. In doing so, the curatorship presents to the public artworks of Modernism side by side with documents from the period itself – for example, Anita Malfatti's diary alongside her painting O homem amarelo. See how to visit.
Casa Mário de Andrade
Located on Rua Lopes Chave, in Barra Funda, the townhouse where Mário de Andrade lived holds some of his personal belongings and his library, and is an essential stop for anyone wishing to understand the setting in which one of the leading ideologues of the Modernist Movement lived. In February, the Casa is running a programme of events commemorating the Semana de 22. Check the website.
Casa Guilherme de Almeida
In Pacaembu, the house where the poet and translator Guilherme de Almeida lived is another essential destination for lovers of Modernism. Guilherme was one of the organisers of the Semana de 22 and used to receive groups of modernist artists at lively soirées. As a result, he was given paintings and sculptures as presents – several of them still kept in the house today, which operates as a museum. The collection includes paintings by Anita Malfatti, Lasar Segall and Di Cavalcanti. See how to visit.
Museu do Futebol
In June, the museum located beneath the stands of the Estádio do Pacaembu opens the exhibition 22 em Campo: Modernismo e Futebol, curated by the architect Guilherme Wisnik. The exhibition sets out to discuss how football – like Modernism – contributed to building the idea of Brazil that is still held today.
