João Fernandes Assumes Artistic Direction at Instituto Moreira Salles Amid Brazilian Cultural Resilience

institutional · 2026-04-23

João Fernandes, the new artistic director of Instituto Moreira Salles in São Paulo, arrives from leading roles at Fundação Serralves in Porto (1996-2012) and Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid. He views his appointment as an opportunity to engage with Brazil's complex history and vibrant contemporary culture, despite current political and environmental challenges. Fernandes emphasizes the institute's unique capacity to intertwine memory with the present, citing its autonomy and diverse archives spanning literature, photography, visual arts, and cinema. He admires how Brazilian culture subverts distinctions between erudite and popular forms, referencing figures like Hélio Oiticica, Mário Pedrosa, and Claudia Andujar. Recent positive cultural energy, including the Panorama da Arte Brasileira and films like 'Bacurau,' reinforces his optimism. His initial focus involves learning the institution's operations and teams before shaping a programming identity that critically engages memory as a collective, discussable entity. The article also lists numerous concurrent exhibitions across Brazil, such as 'Claudia Alarcón & Silät: viver tecendo' at MASP, 'Frestas – Trienal de Artes' in Sorocaba, and 'O que elas viram: fotolivros históricos de mulheres, 1843-1999' at IMS Paulista.

Key facts

João Fernandes is the new artistic director of Instituto Moreira Salles in São Paulo.
He previously directed Fundação Serralves in Porto from 1996 to 2012 and was artistic director of Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.
Fernandes believes the institute is ideally positioned to work with memory and the present due to its autonomous archives and programming.
He cites Brazilian culture's ability to subvert divisions between erudite and popular art as a key fascination.
Recent cultural events like the Panorama da Arte Brasileira and Kleber Mendonça's film 'Bacurau' signal a unique energy in Brazil.
His first year includes a pre-scheduled exhibition by Harun Farocki.
Fernandes aims to build a programming identity through collaboration with the institute's teams.
The article lists over twenty other current exhibitions across Brazil, highlighting a vibrant art scene.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

Instituto Moreira Salles
Fundação Serralves
Museo Reina Sofía
MASP — Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand
Galeria Galatea Salvador
Nara Roesler
Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo (MAES)
Sesc Sorocaba
CAIXA Cultural São Paulo
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte (CCBB BH)
Janaina Torres Galeria
FAMA Museu
IMS - Instituto Moreira Salles
Simões de Assis
Galeria Estúdio Reverso
NONADA SP
DAN Galeria
Casa de Cultura do Parque
Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin - USP
Itaú Cultural
Pina Luz
Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do Sesc
10×10 Photobooks
Getty Research Institute
Rijksmuseum
New York Public Library
Paris Photo
Livraria da Travessa
Instituto Hercule Florence
Documenta Pantanal
Centro Maria Antônia da USP
Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)
MoMA
Ateliê Marlene Barros
Ponto de Cultura Coletivo ZBM
Universidade de Aveiro
El Espacio 23
Coleção Jorge M. Pérez
Phi Projetos
Cinnamon
Movimento Grevista Negro
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Secretaria da Cultura (Secultes)
Fundo de Cultura do Estado do Espirito Santo (Funcultura)
Política Nacional Aldir Blanc (PNAB)
Ministério da Cultura (MINC)
Midiateca Capixaba
Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea (ICCo)
Lei Rouanet
banco BV
Laranjinha
Banco Itaú
Carmo Johnson Projects
Terreiro Ilê Asipá
Capela João de Camargo
Clube 28 de Setembro
Monumento Pelourinho
Monumento à Mãe Preta
Serviço de Repressão à Mendicância
Moreira Salles Institute
Serralves Foundation
Reina Sofía
Galeria Nara Roesler - SP
Fonte
Pinacoteca de São Paulo (Pina Luz)
Ilê Asipá
ARTE!Brasileiros
Universidade de São Paulo
ArtReview
V Seminário ARTE!Brasileiros
Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo
Secretaria da Cultura
Fundo de Cultura do Estado do Espirito Santo
Política Nacional Aldir Blanc
Ministério da Cultura
CAIXA
Governo do Brasil
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte
MASP
IMS Paulista
Biblioteca de Fotografia
NND|Azeco
SP-Arte
Projeto 280X1020
Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea
BBM-USP
Bibliothèque nationale de France
PGHEA-MAC/USP

Locations

São Paulo
Brazil
Porto
Portugal
Madrid
Spain
Avenida Paulista
Salvador
Bahia
Recife
Pernambuco
Olinda
Vitória
Espírito Santo
Sorocaba
Nova York
United States
Tóquio
Japan
Mumbai
India
Pequim
China
Jacarta
Indonesia
Belo Horizonte
Minas Gerais
Itu
La Puntana
Argentina
Gran Chaco
Paraguay
Alemanha
Germany
Westphalia
Miami
EUA
Los Angeles
Amsterdã
Netherlands
Algarve
Santo Antônio da Patrulha
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio de Janeiro
Porto Feliz
Mato Grosso
Grão-Pará
Amazônia
Pantanal
Cameroon
Fortaleza
Ilha de Itaparica
Recôncavo Baiano
Zona Leste paulistana
subúrbio ferroviário soteropolitano
Cidade Universitária
Boaçava / Alto de Pinheiros
Vila Madalena
Bela Vista
Bom Retiro
Jardim Paulista
Vila Nova Conceição
Centro
Funcionários
Jardim Faculdade
Alto de Pinheiros
Vulcano
France
England
Madri
Florida
Campo Grande
Mato Grosso do Sul
California
Lorena
Boaçava
Ceará

Sources

ARTE!Brasileiros — 2020-01-19
ARTE!Brasileiros — 2019-09-25
ARTE!Brasileiros — 2019-05-10