The Museum of Modern Art in São Paulo, Brazil, reopened this month following a two-year closure for renovations, marking a significant update to the landmark institution housed in a building co-designed by renowned architects Oscar Niemeyer and Lina Bo Bardi. The reopening coincides with the launch of the 39th edition of the museum’s signature exhibition series, the Panorama of Brazilian Art, which runs through January 24 and features works by 33 contemporary artists living or working in Brazil.

Originally conceived by Niemeyer in 1954 as a multipurpose space integrated within his curving Marquise structure in the sprawling Ibirapuera Park, the building served varied functions before becoming home to the museum in 1969. In the mid-1970s, Bo Bardi was commissioned to redesign the space, adding an auditorium, expanding the galleries, and installing a glass curtain wall to better connect the interior with the park. The museum reopened with the Panorama series under her guidance in 1983.

The current renovation aimed to preserve the historic character of the building, with all modifications requiring approval from preservation authorities. While the initial plan was to close the museum for four months as part of a broader renovation of the city-owned Marquise, government delays extended the closure beyond a year. The museum then opted to remain closed slightly longer to complete additional updates. Improvements include enhanced climate control, upgraded lighting, and renovations to the restaurant and auditorium spaces, which the museum intends to rent for generating revenue after extended pandemic-related and renovation closures. As a free institution, the Museum of Modern Art relies on such income to support its operations.

One visible change is the removal of a film that had previously obscured Bo Bardi's glass facade, now allowing natural light to flood the galleries and enabling park visitors to look inside. “Now it feels like the museum space goes outside of the building and the park comes inside the museum,” said Diane Lima, Brazilian curator of this year’s Panorama and the country’s pavilion at the current Venice Biennale.

The exhibition, titled “After It’s All Said,” reflects significant sociocultural shifts in Brazil over the past two decades, centering voices historically marginalized in the country’s contemporary art scene. Lima highlights a broader institutional recognition of Indigenous, Black, LGBTQ, and other minority communities, alongside the decentralizing influence of social media that has amplified these perspectives.

Artists featured originate from 13 Brazilian states and often incorporate materials and narratives linked to underrepresented communities. For example, Marcelo Conceição, who experienced homelessness following a landslide in his neighborhood, creates sculptures from found metal and wood, capturing his personal and social realities. Carolina Cordeiro uses zinc—common in favela architecture but rarely seen in galleries—as her primary material, challenging traditional notions of fine art.

Allan Weber’s work interrogates themes of transformation, presenting sculptures made from old cameras arranged to resemble automatic rifles, symbolizing a shift from violence to creativity. Lima emphasizes that the exhibition neither seeks to elevate these works artificially nor impose new hierarchies but rather presents an authentic snapshot of contemporary Brazilian art as it exists amid ongoing social change.

“This is just the way we do it now,” Lima said, underscoring the evolving definitions of art within Brazil’s cultural landscape.