São Paulo Museum of Art

The São Paulo Museum of Art, or MASP (Museu de Arte de São Paulo), is the most famous museum in the city. It has an incredibly large and diverse collection of contemporary art, including such great artists as Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, and Renoir.

The private non-profit MASP - the first modern museum in Brazil - was conceived in 1947 by the local philanthropist and businessman Assis Chateaubriand. He invited famous European architects and art historians to São Paulo to develop architectural and exhibition projects. As a result, an interesting building appeared in the city in 1968. It is noticeable from afar, thanks to its bright red columns filled with interesting works of art.

The uniqueness of the museum is not only in its collection but also in the principle of organizing exhibitions. The creators of MASP completely abandoned the use of the traditional principle of exhibition space when paintings are displayed on the walls. Instead, they use mobile transparent structures. It allows transforming the space for the needs of a particular exhibition.

The museum has several spacious rooms that are used for permanent exhibitions, temporary exhibitions, and thematic events. MASP regularly organizes seminars, training courses, lectures for school and university teachers, and film and video sessions. There is also a special workshop for restoration work.

Every Tuesday, the entrance to MASP is free so that all residents and tourists can appreciate the scale of the museum and get acquainted with the work of great authors. And every Saturday you can become a participant in master classes or fascinating seminars. The current schedule is always available on the museum's website and posters near the main entrance.

And, of course, one cannot but to mention the public terrace, which occupies a large part of the museum’s territory. It is a popular meeting place for citizens as well as a low, but quite interesting observation deck. So you can admire the city while drinking delicious coffee in the museum cafe.