Olá, galera! Hey, everyone!

The dazzling cidade (city) of São Paulo is Brazil’s wealthiest, largest and most populous metropole. As such, a lot can be expected from its major museum, the São Paulo Art Museum (Museu de Arte de São Paulo), also conhecido (known) as MASP. MASP is a leading Brazilian cultural institution and an icon of the capital.

A landmark in São Paulo’s cityscape, the building is located on Paulista avenue, an important hub that, in addition to being a political and economic center of the city, is also a thriving area for shops, schools, restaurants, coffee shops, bus lines, subway stops, skyscrapers, banks and a main spot for demonstrations, parades and political protests,

The institution was founded in 1947 by public figure, journalist, entrepreneur and media mogul – in the likes of a Brazilian Citizen Kane – Assis Chateaubriand, who acquired a large number of art pieces largely due to the fact that he was able to comprar (purchase) them for a reasonable preço (price) after World War II.

A fine collection of European, Asian, African and national art including paintings, sketches, drawings, etchings, sculptures and photographs amount to over oito mil (8000) pieces in the museum. Artists like Picasso, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Renoir, Gauguin, Monet, Cézanne, comprising various artistic movements and tendencies across centuries, are part of the diverse holdings of MASP, which accounts for its international recognition, besides being the most visited museum no país (in the country) and o maior (the largest) in Latin America.

What particularly stands out in the current headquarters of MASP is its  modern and unique architecture, inaugurated in the ano (year) of 1968, with the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Projected by Italian architect Lina Bo Bardi – wife of art dealer and critic Pietro Maria Bardi a longtime MASP director, curator and personal friend of Assis Chateaubriand – the bold and innovative construction consists of a structure feita de (made of) glass and concrete, suspended by two bright red lateral columns, whose empty space between o chão (the ground) and o prédio (the building) offers an unobstructed view of the city and where many cultural and public events are held. It took dez anos (ten years) to be concluded and it is registered as a part of Brazil’s national heritage.

MASP is now a celebrated meeting point for artists, students, teachers and a tourist destination for its several points of interest. Aside from its galeries, shop, restaurants and auditoriums that draw the public’s attention, the museum also has an educational program with a number of didactic acitivities such as lectures, debates, workshops and courses.

Whether you feel like visiting for its large collection of art or if you just want to appreciate its modernist design, MASP is part of our history and you should’t forget to drop by when in São Paulo!

Here is some mais (more) information:

Address: Avenida Paulista, 1578 – São Paulo – SP

Official Website: http://masp.art.br

Opening Hours:

Monday: closed

From Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm (ticket office open until 5:30pm)

Thursday: 11am to 8pm (grossing up until 7:30pm)

Have a great week!