Two São Paulo Art Institutions Join Forces This Year
Culture
Key Facts
—The show. “Aqui-lá” pairs the Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo with the Instituto Tomie Ohtake.
—The theme. It explores how Brazilian modern art was shaped by dialogue with the wider world.
—The milestone. The Instituto Tomie Ohtake marks twenty-five years of programming in 2026.
—The venue. MAM sits inside Ibirapuera Park, at the green heart of São Paulo.
—The reopening. MAM is also refreshing its home this year, part of a dense São Paulo museum calendar.
Two of São Paulo’s most respected art institutions are working together this year, and the result is a smart show about how Brazilian art talks to the world. The MAM São Paulo collaboration is a highlight of a packed cultural calendar.
For a foreign resident, this is a chance to see the city’s art scene at its most ambitious. São Paulo is home to one of the densest concentrations of museums in Latin America, and 2026 is an unusually busy year for all of them.
The centrepiece pairs two institutions rarely shown side by side. According to the Museu de Arte Moderna, its “Aqui-lá” show brings its collection into dialogue with the Instituto Tomie Ohtake.
What the MAM São Paulo show is about
The theme is connection. “Aqui-lá,” which translates loosely as “here-there,” looks at how Brazilian modern art was repeatedly shaped by its relationships with artists and movements abroad.
The argument runs through Brazilian art history. It traces how foreign-born and foreign-trained artists helped define what came to be seen as distinctly Brazilian modern art, complicating any simple idea of a purely local tradition.
The pairing itself is the point. By bringing two collections together, the show lets works that usually live in separate institutions speak to each other in a single space.
It also lands in an anniversary year. The Instituto Tomie Ohtake, named for the celebrated Japanese-Brazilian abstract painter, is marking twenty-five years since it opened its doors in the city.
Why it is worth planning around
The setting alone justifies a trip. MAM sits inside Ibirapuera Park, the city’s great green lung, so a visit combines easily with a walk, a coffee and the park’s other cultural buildings.
The wider calendar rewards the effort. São Paulo’s major institutions are running an unusually rich programme this year, from the Pinacoteca to the city’s contemporary spaces, making a single trip stretch across several shows.
For expats, it is also an easy cultural anchor. The park and its museums are central, safe by day and simple to reach, making them a reliable default for a weekend that needs a plan.
The two institutions make an interesting pair. MAM is one of Brazil’s oldest modern-art museums, while the Instituto Tomie Ohtake, a younger private space in Pinheiros, has built a reputation for bold contemporary shows over its quarter-century.
Tomie Ohtake herself embodies the show’s theme. Born in Japan and settled in Brazil from the nineteen-thirties, she became one of the country’s defining abstract painters, a living link between here and there.
For a newcomer, that story is worth carrying into the galleries. It reframes Brazilian art not as something sealed off and purely local, but as a conversation the country has always held with the rest of the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MAM São Paulo Aqui-lá show?
It is a collaboration between the Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo and the Instituto Tomie Ohtake. The show explores how Brazilian modern art was shaped by its dialogue with foreign artists and movements over the twentieth century.
Where is MAM São Paulo?
The museum sits inside Ibirapuera Park, the city’s largest central park. It is easy to reach and pairs naturally with the park’s other cultural venues for a full day out.
Why is 2026 a significant year for the Instituto Tomie Ohtake?
The Instituto Tomie Ohtake marks twenty-five years of programming in 2026. This milestone coincides with an unusually busy year across São Paulo’s museum calendar.
What else is happening in São Paulo’s art scene in 2026?
The city is running one of its densest museum calendars in years. Institutions from the Pinacoteca to the contemporary spaces are staging major shows across the year.
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