The Museum of Contemporary Art (MACC Museu de Arte Contemporanea de Campinas) is one of the leading art institutions in Campinas. It celebrates Brazilian art via both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1965. It has a catalogue of over 600 pieces from the mid-1900s to the present day.
Exhibitions are distributed between spacious, well-lit halls with whitewashed walls. Some of the nation’s most acclaimed modern artists are on display. Among them is Candido Portinari, who was a notable influencer of the neorealism style, and the Jewish-Brazilian artist Lasar Sagall. Other notable names include Cildo Meireles, José Roberto Aguilar and Roberto Burle Marx.
As you browse you’ll get acquainted with trends such as abstractionism, expressionism and surrealism. There have also been expositions dedicated to digital arts, holography and video art. See sculptures, sketches and prints. Admire landscape paintings and objets d’art.
The museum sits to the northeast of Campinas’s downtown district. From the city’s main bus terminal it’s about a 15-minute drive. Public buses stop close by, otherwise it’s a 10-minute walk from the Metropolitan Cathedral of Campinas. While here, be sure to check out the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte. This colonial-style church dates back to 1875 and was constructed with the intention to provide a place of worship for people being treated at the adjoining hospital.
You can visit the Museum of Contemporary Art from Tuesday to Sunday and admission is free. There are extended visiting hours on Thursday. Ask at the reception for information about the current exhibitions.