ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Mira Schendel work at Campinas museum sparks debate on center-periphery cultural inequality

cultural-heritage · 2026-05-21

A piece from the Objeto Gráfico series by Swiss-Brazilian artist Mira Schendel (1919-1988) has recently drawn interest following the exhibition Nada Como um Dia Depois de Outro!, curated by Gabriel Zacarias. This artwork, which received recognition at the Salões de Arte Contemporânea de Campinas, has ignited discussions regarding the social role and infrastructure of the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Campinas (MACC). Since 1967, MACC has been under the management of Campinas's Secretaria Municipal de Cultura e Turismo, yet it receives less than 1% of the city's budget and struggles with staffing and infrastructure issues. Recent advancements include improvements in accessibility and conservation training. The Repertório Aberto initiative, spearheaded by Paula Monterrey and Andrea Mendes, plans to enhance the educational facilities, with a publication set to launch on May 23, 2025.

Key facts

  • Mira Schendel's Objeto Gráfico work has been in MACC's collection since 1967.
  • The work was awarded at one of the Salões de Arte Contemporânea de Campinas.
  • MACC's collection includes about 700 works, mostly from the Salões between the 1960s and 1980s.
  • MACC is managed by Campinas's Secretaria Municipal de Cultura e Turismo with less than 1% of the municipal budget.
  • Recent improvements include conservation training, electrical reforms, climate control, and accessibility adaptations.
  • Paula Monterrey and Andrea Mendes led the Repertório Aberto project (2024-2026) for MACC's educational space.
  • The book Repertório Aberto: Arte-Educação e o Direito ao Museu no MACC launches on May 23, 2025 at MACC.
  • The debate raises issues of center-periphery inequality in cultural resource distribution.

Entities

Artists

  • Mira Schendel
  • Gabriel Zacarias
  • Renata Zago
  • Paula Monterrey
  • Andrea Mendes
  • Adriano Menezes

Institutions

  • Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Campinas “José Pancetti” (MACC)
  • Museu de Artes Visuais da Unicamp
  • Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)
  • Secretaria Municipal de Cultura e Turismo de Campinas
  • Conselho Municipal de Política Cultural de Campinas
  • Jornal da Unicamp
  • Cultura em 1 Minuto

Locations

  • Campinas
  • São Paulo
  • Brazil

Sources