SAO PAULO, June 17 ― There are thousands of these makeshift 'towns' in Brazil, particularly in the country's major metropolises. Yet favelas continue to be ostracized spaces, synonymous with gang warfare and violence. In São Paulo, a new museum aims to show these communities in a different light through the visual arts.

This art venue, called the Museu das Favelas, is located in the heart of São Paulo, in a building dating back to the late 19th century. It once belonged to Elias Pacheco Chaves, a businessman who made his fortune in coffee during the era of slavery, before being bought by the São Paulo state government and then by the Institute of Development and Management.

The museum is dedicated exclusively to showcasing and promoting art produced in the favelas, disadvantaged neighbourhoods often on the outskirts of Brazil's major cities, where 17.1 million people were reported to live in 2021 (8% of Brazil's population), according to estimations by the Locomotiva institute. The museum exhibits works by people who live or work in favelas, such as the visual artist Lidia Lisbôa, the multidisciplinary artist Paulo Nazareth and members of the Topográficas and Coletores collectives.

For the moment, the Museu das Favelas only hosts temporary exhibitions, including “Favela-Raiz” (“Favela-Roots”), although there are plans to install a permanent collection, according to Le Quotidien de l’Art.

Overcoming preconceptions

After opening in November, the Museu das Favelas is stepping up its initiatives and events to make its mark on the Brazilian museum scene, and above all to encourage the country's inhabitants to step through its doors. Indeed, most Brazilians consider museums to be “monotonous,” “predictable” and “elitist” places, according to a report from the Oi Futuro institute and research firm Consumoteca, dating from 2019.

For Carla Alves Zulu, a spokesperson for Museu das Favelas, this feeling is even more prevalent among favela residents. “There's an abyss between favela residents and this type of culture, because it wasn't designed for them, and they're not part of its production,” she told Le Quotidien de l'Art.

To encourage them to overcome these preconceptions, the Museu das Favelas is free to visit. And this is a powerful gesture in a country where cultural institutions are facing major financial difficulties due to a lack of funds and the disengagement of public authorities.

Rio de Janeiro's National Museum of Brazil suffered the effects of this after being ravaged by flames in September 2018. The fire caused major damage, as 85 per cent of the pieces in its collection went up in smoke, according to the daily newspaper, Globo. At the time, the International Council of Museums urged national governments, especially the Brazilian one, to allocate adequate funding to such institutions so that they could continue to fulfil their role in society for generations to come. Reconstruction of the National Museum of Brazil began in 2021, and it is scheduled to reopen to the public in 2026. ― ETX Studio