Over 8,000 works of art await. Today we explore the Museum of Contemporary Art, University of S\u00e3o Paulo. It is locally known as MAC USP. This museum is one of Latin America’s most important modern and contemporary art museums.
MAC USP’s story began in 1963. The University of S\u00e3o Paulo received the collection of the Museum of Modern Art of S\u00e3o Paulo. Francisco Matarazzo Sobrinho’s collection also came under the museum’s care. He was the chairman of the Museum of Modern Art.
As a university museum, MAC USP focuses on research and sharing its collections. Professors from the Department of Research in Art lead academic research. They also curate exhibitions. Optional disciplines are offered to undergraduate students from all university programs. The museum educates students through internships and supervision of master’s theses.
MAC USP hosts temporary exhibitions. They promote debate on contemporary art issues. These exhibitions also stimulate discussions about the museum’s collections.
The museum has three venues. One is in Ibirapuera Park. The other two are on the university campus. Guided tours, short courses and workshops are offered to the public. Annually, MAC USP welcomes around 60,000 visitors. Many are students from primary, secondary schools and universities. The academic program involves about 200 students each year.
A new chapter began in 2010. The museum is moving its exhibition spaces to the Agriculture Pavilion in Ibirapuera Park. This building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The main building on the university campus remains. It supports the academic program. The new building provides about 20,000 square meters of exhibition space.
MAC USP’s collection reflects the exchange between Brazilian and European artists during the 1920s to 1950s. The collection also houses works from the Bienal de S\u00e3o Paulo. The former Museum of Modern Art organized the Bienal from 1951 to 1961. It awarded prizes in painting, sculpture and prints. This helped enlarge the museum’s collection.
The Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of S\u00e3o Paulo has a conceptual art collection. It contains nearly two thousand items. MAC USP is the only museum in Brazil with such an international collection. Despite political repression, the museum embraced experimental contemporary art. Walter Zanini directed the museum from 1963 to 1978. He gathered conceptual artists and projects. This made the museum a vital center for national and international art. The collection includes photographs, performances and videos. You can also find installation projects, texts and mail art. Artist’s books, cards, stamps, concrete poetry and visual poetry are present. Most pieces were produced in the 1960s and 1970s.
When MAC USP began its activities in 1963, Walter Zanini initiated actions to expand the collection. He promoted exhibitions like “Jovem Arte Contempor\u00e2nea.” He established exchanges among artists worldwide, especially in Latin America and Eastern Europe. This resulted in a significant collection of conceptual art from the late 1960s and 1970s. This period also marked the beginning of the photography collection. The museum organized exhibitions from museums abroad. The gallery Lado B allowed artists to show video experiments.
MAC USP holds one of Latin America’s largest collections of 20th-century Western art. It features works by Amedeo Modigliani and Umberto Boccioni. You can also find pieces by Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso here. Jean Metzinger, Joan Mir\u00f3 and Wassily Kandinsky are also featured. Brazilian artists like Tarsila do Amaral and Candido Portinari are represented. The museum also houses art by Ismael Nery, Anita Malfatti, Helio Oiticica and Lygia Clark. Take your time to enjoy and contemplate.