Back to the Big City

Despite other travellers’ warnings, I was quite excited to arrive in Sao Paulo, knowing much about its arts and culture scene and large industrial metropolis. It is here that Sao Paulo’s signature graffiti pixação has painted its imaginary calligraphic writing all over the tops of buildings, drawing much attention from the international stage.

It only seems fitting then, that my next few days were planned to be a feast of art and design, starting with the Cultural Centre in town, and the 9th Biennale of Graphic Design. Housed in an open-plan modern facility, with a central staircase swinging from side to side, this amazing display of advertising, packaging and printed media sat alongside a photographic exhibition of vintage Sao Paulo, that instantly spoke of the changes and progress the city had experienced.

Beside this, but contained in another part of the complex, was an underground performance space, with circular seating that overlooked the stage below, and a class of free-form expressionists writhing on the floor. Quite a sight to see a bunch of fully grown adults rubbing up against each other, all in the name of art, to the changing tempo of a three-piece music combination. If only I could have understood the instructions of their teacher and what it was all meant to mean. Instead, I was entertained by the obvious significance multicoloured jersey material and fisherman’s pants had on one’s artistic identity.

Back out onto the six-lane highway, and I walked the few kilometres towards the Remembrance obelisk, and into the Ibirapuera Park. With its cultural buildings all designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and the park grounds added by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, it is definitely something not to be missed. Located in the first building – Orca – was an amazing film exhibition on different climates around the world. Its design, not unlike the cultural centre, is dominated by a winding stairwell that could easily fit a car or two, and stretched itself across the four or five levels. My favourite piece, made in Slovenia, showcased the onslaught of lava onto land and sea – an oozing mass of bright orange blood that met the water in a hissing end, elevated by the blaring acoustics of the space.

Behind this was the home of Sao Paulo’s MAM (Museum of Modern Art) and the best all-you-can-eat buffet I have seen yet. Unfortunately it was a little out of my price range, at R35,00, but I was equally impressed by the café beside it, complete with Illy coffee and Australian wine. Inside were two collections of art, the first, a showing of Jorge Guinle’s short abstract career, the other, a quick guide through the inception and growth of modern art in Brazil.

Keeping a steady pace, I then made my way across to the MAC – the Museum of Contemporary Art – but was disappointed when my uphill three level trek only amounted to some strange disjointed installations and a documentary I could not follow. Allowing for the sort hiatus in high standards, I finished my walk at the Museu Afro-Brasil located at the southern end of the park. Inside, such as my luck, was only a half-accessible collection, with Brazilian photographer Walter Kirmo taking up the majority of space with his exhibition “Em Preto e Branco” (In Black and White). Filled with famous singers, composers, and even a football-playing Bob Marley, it was an interesting look at the culture of Brazil, through the portraits of its famed people.

Not wanting to derail the cultural onslaught, I did of course end the night with the rising of the next day, and several bottles of the national drink – cachaça. Apparently it goes well with increasingly rowdier games of Shithead.