New horizons in culture with a capital C arrive in one-time Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City)

By Harold Emert

Just when this veteran of one-time Marvelous City, Rio de Janeiro, was getting desolate about being in Brazil — with these scandals in Brasilia and the imminence of yet another festival of loud and usually awful (for these aging ears) Rock in Rio — good news comes in: the city's first festival of arts is about to begin.

One can only thank the heavens that the intelligence and (higher) culture which brought some of us to Brazil has not been forgotten or is NOT being neglected.

The initiative, which hopefully will be an annual event, is part of the city's plan to revive its center, which went into decadence with the pandemic and Covid-19.

And when this observer speaks of so-called made-in-Brazil higher culture, I mean specifically the music of Villa-Lobos and Tom Jobim, among others; the art of Portinari and Cavalcanti; the architecture of Oscar Niemeyer; among others, the literature of Clarice Lispector and Jorge Amado; the theatre of Nelson Rodrigues; and the great ballet dancers Brazil has produced.

More than 1,000 hours of culture

More than 1,000 hours of exhibitions, music, theatre, dance and cultural events will take over Rio — with most activities free to the public — with Rio's first Art and Culture Week, bringing exhibitions, concerts, theatre, dance, architecture, literature and other artistic events to venues across the city.

The initiative, organised by the Rio Municipal Department of Culture in partnership with ArtRio, will run alongside the 16th edition of ArtRio, one of Brazil's leading contemporary art fairs.

For visitors, it offers an opportunity to experience a very different side of Rio — moving beyond the beaches and traditional tourist attractions to explore the city's museums, galleries, historic buildings, squares and cultural centres.

Rio's historic centre will be at the heart of the celebrations, with more than 1,000 hours of cultural programming, involving over 150 projects and 74 festivals.

Events will spill into some of the city's best-known historic locations, including Lapa, Praça XV, Cinelândia, Gamboa and Praça Tiradentes.

Most activities will be free.

The programme was officially announced today, September 3, at Rio's lovely futuristic Museum of Tomorrow, with organisers promising to transform the centre of Rio into a huge open-air celebration of Brazilian creativity.

"It is a week of art that looks at what makes us Rio de Janeiro and what will continue to make us Rio de Janeiro," said Lucas Padilha, Rio's Municipal Secretary of Culture.

He added that the initiative would also provide an opportunity for international curators and collectors to discover the work being produced in Rio.

One of the unique features of this fine initiative will be the presence of the Municipal Department of Culture at ArtRio itself, with its own stand at the fair.

The stand will feature an exhibition curated in partnership with the Hélio Oiticica Project, linked to the Hélio Oiticica Municipal Arts Centre.

ArtRio will also present its own extensive programme of exhibitions, talks, book launches, art launches and special events throughout the fair.

Free cultural tours of Rio

Visitors attending ArtRio will have another way to discover the city.

Free guided cultural tours will depart from the fairgrounds twice a day, at 2pm and 4pm, using 20-seat vans accompanied by cultural guides.

The tours will take visitors to exhibitions and cultural venues around Rio, offering a chance to discover some of the city's artistic treasures that can easily be missed by visitors.

There will also be prize draws, with tickets to municipal theatres and books among the prizes.

Music, theatre and literature

Music will be a major part of the celebrations, including popular Brazilian singer Fafá de Belém, scheduled to perform at Lapa, while Mart'nália will appear at the Palácio Capanema.

The following day, the Aquarius Project will bring together rapper Emicida, samba icon Leci Brandão and the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra for a performance combining rap, samba and classical music.

Literature will also have a prominent place in the programme, including FLUP — the Literary Festival of the Peripheries, which celebrates writers and literary voices from Rio's communities.

Theatre lovers can look forward to "Senhora dos Afogados" (The Lady of the Drowned), based on the work of the Brazilian Euripides — or answer to American Eugene O'Neill — playwright Nelson Rodrigues.

The production at the Galpão da Ação da Cidadania features actresses Leona Cavalli and Giulia Gam.

ArtRio brings the international art world to Rio

The celebrations coincide with the 16th edition of ArtRio, which will be held at Marina da Glória.

The fair has become one of Brazil's major contemporary art events, attracting galleries, artists, collectors, curators and art enthusiasts from Brazil and abroad.

For international visitors, the combination of ArtRio and the city's wider cultural programme provides an unusual opportunity to experience both the commercial contemporary-art scene and Rio's extensive network of public cultural institutions.

The Museum of Tomorrow will also join the celebrations, extending its opening hours during the event, remaining open until 7pm, one hour later than its normal closing time.

A new public social area will also be introduced, including a café and additional activities alongside the museum's regular programme.

"We will have extended opening hours and will be here until 7pm," said Cristiano Vasconcelos, executive director of the Museum of Tomorrow. "We will also have a new public area, a social space and a new café with parallel programming."