Inhotim – Inhotim Institute, Museum of Contemporary Art and Botanical Garden, by Rosângela Vig

You wanted me to talk about poetry a little more…
And despise the atrocious daily life
Did you want… was hearing the sound of my voice
And not an echo – just – of this crazy world!
(QUINTANA, 2007, p. 87)

The enchantment that Art provides the look, in its most varied forms of presentation.

It's like escaping from the busy, gray world, to move freely, through unimaginable dimensions amidst colors and shapes. With an open mind it is possible for a beautiful journey to occur, through the field of senses and the most varied sensations. This is what the tour looks like for those who visit the Inhotim Institute, in the city of Brumadinho, in the State of Minas Gerais.

In yours 140 hectares, between the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes, the museum houses several fields of Art, between sculptures, facilities, photographs, paintings and the most varied ways that the creative spirit found to express itself, in addition to plant species from different continents and the beautiful landscaping.

The large-scale works are by big names in national and international Contemporary Art and are in 24 galleries, 18 of which, permanent and six temporary, with collective exhibitions, monographs and commissioned works.

The large-scale works are interspersed with nature and the lush landscapes of the location., with themed and winding gardens. Beyond the visual experience, the complex also houses space for research and environmental education, integrating the sense of modernity and sustainability.

Officially opened in 2006, Inhotim has already received more than four million people of different nationalities, which makes it a source of income for the city of Brumadinho and the region, also driving social transformation in the region. There are programs offered to children and young people in the region, including the School of Music and direct jobs for local residents. The Institute was founded by Bernardo Paz, Brazilian businessman, collector of works of art, which he transferred to Inhotim, 326 works from his Contemporary Art collection, in 2022. In the presidency of the Institute is Paula Azevedo and a team concerned with sustainability and programs that include the participation of society and the democratization of Art, through cultural and educational projects, in addition to the engagement of society to contribute to the museum.

The beauty in the idea, therefore, is eternally one and indivisible, because there can only be a single equilibrium; the beauty in the experience, However, will be eternally double, because in variation the balance can be transgressed in two ways, below and beyond. (SCHILLER, 2002, p. 83)

Made between 1990 and 1992, the work Palindrome Incest (Fig.3), by the sculptor Tunga (1952-2016) It is made up of magnets and copper sheets, which creates a magnetic field between the elements. In order to refer to weaving, the work presents its instruments as a line, needle, thimble and basket. When looking at the image you can see the comings and goings of the wires., rising and falling, as if a seamstress had left the work unfinished. Palindrome refers to a figure of speech in which the phrase or word does not change even if read backwards, just like the thread that comes and goes, in an endless up and down.

The Invention of Color (Fig.6), by Hélio Oiticica, work completed posthumously, according to instructions left by the artist, consists of colorful squares amidst the natural landscape. The giant walls receive the sunlight that, at different times of the day they acquire different nuances and shapes. The observer can walk through the work, feeling part of it. Viewed from the top (Fig.7), the squares turn into lines that seem to talk to each other.

Exhibited at Galeria Praça, to the work of Mestre Didi (1917-2013) Those initiated into the mystery do not die (Fig. 12) is composed of sculptures made with oil palm fibers, buzios, accounts, seeds, leather straps and symbols of Yoruba traditions, referring to African religiosity.

And we still have to talk about Galeria Adriana Varejão¹ (Fig. 9) with its solid structure, in a single block facing nature, with the water mirror in front, contrasting with the artist's work, colorful and provocative.

Among the galleries and works, the observer can appreciate the fauna (Fig.14), the flora (Fig.15) and the lush gardens. Beyond visual pleasure, the Institute is also an invitation to gastronomy, with cafes and restaurants for various tastes, inside and outside the museum.

Visiting Hours:

From Wednesday to Friday, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
In the months of January and July, Inhotim also opens on Tuesdays

More information is on the museum website: inhotim.org.br/visite/ingressos/

Location: Municipality of Brumadinho, to 60 km from Belo Horizonte. Access by km 500 from BR-381 – towards BH/SP.

¹ Adriana Varejao, gallery link in Inhotim:
inhotim.org.br/video/ep-1-adriana-varejao

References

• QUINTANA, Mario.Quintana of bag. Porto Alegre: L&PM Pocket, 2007.
• SCHILLER, Friedrich. A Educação Estética do Homem. São Paulo: Publisher Miniatures, 2002. 

ROSÂNGELA VIG
Sorocaba – São Paulo
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Columnist at Website Obras de Arte
E-mail: rosangelavig@hotmail.com