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Upon entering the new building, one notices the open, ventilated and lighted character, the feeling is practically of an open-air environment, without ceilings or walls.
This Saturday (4th) the Pinacoteca inaugurates its third building after 11 months of construction work. Pina Contemporânea occupies the site where the Prudente de Morais State School previously operated, which was transferred in 2015 and, after a dispute over ownership of the land, in 2018 it was officially transferred to the Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy of the State of São Paulo, which obtained the license to start the institution’s project.
Upon entering the new building, one notices the open, ventilated and illuminated character that the architecture allows, the feeling is practically of an open-air environment, without ceilings or walls.
From the first step inside, it is already possible to visualize all the environments that Pina Contemporânea presents: exhibition galleries, two ateliers for educational activities, store, mezzanine and documentation and memory center. This detail is not trivial, the architectural project was assertive in thinking about how the environments would integrate in order to fulfill the mission of this new building, that of expanding the artistic experience.
The architecture of the new Pina Contemporânea
The project is signed by the Arquitetos Associados office in collaboration with Silvio Oksman, and dialogues with different moments of São Paulo architecture. The yellow building was one of the first school constructions of the 19th century and is present in the landscape of those who enter the museum. On the other hand, the main school construction is more recent, signed in 1950 by Hélio Duarte. These two architectural volumes were maintained and included in this third layer that would bring elements such as stairs, skylight, mezzanine and transparent vertical column.
The open structure intends to be inviting to attract more people to attend the museum, which is an expanded space in dialogue with the works, visitors and also the sculpture garden that divides it from the Pina Luz building.
The third building, the only one of the institution designed since its inception to be an exhibition space, brings an environment not only suitable for embracing the art of our time, but which was constituted by a contemporary institutional disposition, where knowledge is not fragmented but includes the educational studio, the documentation and memory center and the exhibition galleries at the same level of importance.
The building also carries the task of being an appropriate technical reserve to hold a collection like the Pinacoteca, with around 11,000 items in the collection.
Library and documentation and memory center
The library and documentation center are environments surrounded by glass that invite the visitor to enter. Study room and hall with tables and books is the first environment you see, followed by the internal space where the research materials are stored, each with its specificity; some important historical artifacts such as parts of Tarsila do Amaral’s dress and letters from curators and researchers, other more recent ones such as records of the processes of designing exhibitions and institutional catalogues.
The Ground of the Square
The public square, as the central part of the museum is called, where circulation is concentrated, is superimposed on a huge underground hall. This hall hosts the inaugural exhibition of the building, “Chão da Praça: works from the Pinacoteca collection” with a curatorship focused on works from the collection that have not been exposed to the public for a long time.
According to curator Ana Maria Maia, “the backbone of the exhibition is installations, sculptures and works that behave outside the walls and traditional spaces of the visual arts“.
What you see when you enter the place are living works, in motion, that seem to walk along with the visitor through the space. Among colors, textures, dimensions, sounds and tactile experiences, the expressiveness of the montage is remarkable, which, as the curator stated, causes “productively conflicting” noises.
Almost Colloquial by Haegue Yang
The other exhibition opening the building is a solo show by South Korean artist Haegue Yang. Yang’s work is characterized by the use of a wide range of materials and techniques, from everyday objects such as blinds, to technological ones such as light and sound. She creates installations that transform the spaces in which they are displayed, often incorporating everyday objects such as mirrors, fans and lamps to create effects of movement, shadow and light that envelop the viewer in an immersive sensory experience.
It is curious that the first solo exhibition by an institution known for contributing to the history of Brazil is by an Asian artist. About this, Jochen Volz immediately replies that the idea of inviting her to exhibit and create site-specific works came from the intention of inverting the traditional discursive axis, that is, expanding the dialogues of Brazilian art with other parts of the world that are not European, white and male.
The work of the South Korean artist is related in several aspects to that of Brazilian artists such as Cildo Meireles, both emphasizing the sensorial experience and the active participation of the spectator in the work. Meireles, a Brazilian artist who also has an internationally recognized career, often uses simple objects and materials in his works, such as coins, cages and marbles, to create situations that challenge the public’s perception and question the structures of power and control present in art. society.
Furthermore, both artists are interested in working with social and political issues. Meireles is known for his engagement with themes such as the military dictatorship in Brazil and police violence, while Yang has addressed issues such as migration, cultural identity and power relations. In both cases, art is seen as a form of critical reflection and questioning of the hegemonic structures that shape society.
the educational
The educational area gains, in this new building, a large studio, also surrounded by glass, which will present a series of activities for different audiences. One of the initiatives proposes famous works of art from history in 3D miniatures with removable parts, in which people with disabilities can get to know the paintings by touch, by manipulating malleable pieces, or even by smell, as is the case with the complementary material to the painting by Almeida Jr, “The redneck chopping smoke“, in which it is possible to smell a piece of smoke that would be similar to the one the character handles in the 1893 painting.
It is a breath of fresh air to hear the news of the opening of a building like this to integrate a historical museum in the city of São Paulo. In the first 30 days, entrance to exhibitions at Pina Contemporânea will not be charged and the public will be able to visit them for free.
Beatriz Preto holds a degree in Art Criticism and Curatorship from PUC-SP.
Victoria Louise is a journalist, graduated in Art Criticism and Curation at PUC-SP.
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