INDOC. Documentation Centre about Art and Nature

Inhotim gardens: a contemporary art centre in the heart of the Brazilian forest

One of Brazil's best contemporary art centres is located 60 km from Belo Horizonte. The size of the complex, which opened in 2004, is truly remarkable. It includes over 2,100 ha of parks, gardens and lakes – spaces open to artistic exploration of the landscape.

The origin of Inhotim

Inhotim occupies an area of Atlantic tropical forest and includes 35 botanical gardens originally designed by the acclaimed Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx.

Businessman Bernardo Paz came up with the idea for the art centre in the mid-1980s. Burle Marx visited the site and made a number of suggestions, as well as collaborating on the design of the gardens.

Over time the private property was gradually transformed and became a major cultural space. This process began with the construction of the first buildings to house contemporary artworks. From 2005 on, Inhotim also grew into an important botanical centre as botanical collections from different parts of Brazil were rescued and introduced there.

The centre and its gardens

The Inhotim collection currently includes over 350 works by almost 100 Brazilian and international artists. Cildo Meireles, Vik Muniz, Dan Graham, Giuseppe Penone, Olafur Eliasson and Zhang Huan are among the many creators represented at this unique contemporary art centre.

In addition to the works exhibited in the galleries, 12 outdoor installations are currently on display along the various routes that wind their way through Inhotim’s gardens. Given its huge size, at Inhotim every detail has been carefully considered: the park offers a complete educational programme for visitors, a range of dining options at its many restaurants and cafeterias, and numerous benches and loungers scattered along the paths that meander through the grounds.

Everything is designed to ensure that visitors can enjoy nature and art in the beautiful landscape of the Brazilian forest.

Opening hours

• Thursdays and Fridays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

More information and contact

Inhotim. Centro de Arte Contemporânea.

Rua B, 20
Inhotim, Brumadinho, MG, Brasil
30987-654

Tel.: +55 31 3227 0001

E-mail: info@inhotim.org.br

• Website of  Inhotim
   

Source: texts – CDAN, based on material about Inhotim available at INDOC; photos of Inhotim taken by the CDAN.

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