Museu de Arte do Rio Celebrates Funk and Popular Festivals with Two Major Exhibitions

The Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) is currently hosting two major exhibitions that engage deeply with local culture. 'FUNK: Um grito de ousadia e liberdade,' curated by the MAR team alongside Taísa Machado and Dom Filó with consultancy from specialists including Deise Tigrona, runs until August 24. Featuring 900 items from art to clothing and DJ equipment, the exhibition dedicates rooms to Soul music and favela dance parties, with works by contemporary artists like André Vargas, Gê Vianna, and Maxwell Alexandre. Concurrently, 'Bloco do Prazer,' curated by Marcelo Campos and others, explores Brazilian celebrations through 350 works, centering on Gal Costa and featuring Hélio Oiticica's 'Penetrável da Gal' from 1970. Both shows aim to attract non-traditional museum audiences, with 'FUNK' drawing large crowds, including a free-visitation day on July 23 where wait times reached an hour. The museum's 11-year history of focusing on carioca themes is reinforced by these visually dense presentations, including an Instagram-friendly expography by Estúdio Gru.a.