Pola Ribeiro Assumes Directorship of MAM-BA After Year-Long Vacancy

Pola Ribeiro, a filmmaker and public manager, has been appointed director of the Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia (MAM-BA) in Salvador, ending a nearly year-long period without leadership. He acknowledges his short-term mandate, aligning with the final two years of Governor Rui Costa's administration, and aims to restructure the institution rather than pursue ambitious new projects. Ribeiro plans to hire a chief curator, strengthen educational programs, and reconnect the museum with the local population and other Salvador institutions. He intends to rebuild the museum's connection to the Recôncavo region, countering what he describes as Salvador's recent "snobbish" neglect of the area. A controversial renovation of the Solar do Unhão pier, adding a dock for small boats and a restaurant, has drawn criticism from architects and urbanists who argue it distorts Lina Bo Bardi's original design and promotes elitism. Ribeiro, inheriting the nearly finished project approved by Iphan, states he will ensure the restaurant serves the museum and avoids becoming a purely touristic attraction. The museum, linked to the State Secretariat of Culture, remained closed during the pandemic and the directorship vacancy, requiring maintenance on systems like air conditioning and elevators. Ribeiro emphasizes the need to recover the museum's "soul" and intellectual direction, which he says was lacking during the interim period.