Inhotim - getting there

Inhotim - getting there

Artwork at one of Inhotim´s Galleries

Inhotim is located at Brumadinho, a city in the southern outskirts of Belo Horizonte, or simply BH, Minas Gerais´State capital. It is about 30km south of BH, an half-hour drive. 

Though the artcenter provides shuttles departing from the fancy Savassi neighbourhood in BH (see the official site info: http://www.inhotim.org.br/en/visit/getting-here/), to calmly know and enjoy Inhotim, the best is to stay one or two nights at Brumadinho, or at a hotel, B&B, hostel, or pousada in the surrounding cities, such as Mario Campos. 

Lined palmtrees at Inhotim

The main buildings of the world are melting by candle light - Inhotim´s artwork

Brumadinho lacks enough hotels, but for sure the attraction caused by Inhotim will change this reality in the future. It is really unbelievable major hotel chains didn´t get buildings here, since the tourism to Inhotim is increasing at quite high rates. 

From BH´s International Airport, the ride is a bit longer, about one hour drive. But cars can be easily rented at the Airport. Car-rental companies have desks at the airport´s main concourse, at the old terminal. 


Renting a car with a good GPS (or using the cellphone´s GPS) is totally advisable. Roads are ok, but heavy traffic can be annoying at rush hours (early hours and 5pm to 9pm weekdays), and the driver must be careful with the trucks, since the trip from the airport to Brumadinho takes highways mostly at BH´s nearby cities. 

The main buildings of the world are melting by candle light - Inhotim´s artwork

If taking a car, it is advisable the best time to go is during the day, since it is a rural area, and some parts of the track are poorly enlighted at night.

BH´s airport has been recently renovated, so it is verty convenient. The sole problem is the lack of public transportation to BH, but there´s an executive bus which takes to downtown. But to Brumadinho, starting from the airport, only taxis and rental cars will be avilable. 

The airport has some international flights from and to the US and to Europe. 

Inhotim - an incredible place

Inhotim - an incredible place

 It is very hard to describe what Inhotim is. It is easier to put adjectives: astonishing, unbelievable, fantastic, esplendorous.

Gardens at Inhotim

Beheaded sculptures at Inhotim

Inhotim is a synestesic place. It mixes with our senses. The smell of trees, the view of the landscape and artwork, the sounds of birds, the music and beating of interactive pieces of artwork. The possibility of touching many sculptures and getting inside the galleries´rooms. Darkness and light. Monocromatic versus colourful pieces. Huge modernist buildings which seems to float over the grass in the middle of the most perfect jungle. 

Art work at one of Inhotim´s galleries

A huge contemporary art center, surrounded by lush gardens, open to the skies. 

Art galleries and sculptures share a huge espace in an imense botanic garden, flowered and colourful, with species from all over the world, and - of course - from the entire Brazil.

Artwork related to bus stops in Brazil, at Inhotim

Located at Brumadinho, a city some 30km south of Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais capital), Inhotim is a park for nature and arts lovers (see future post about how to get to Inhotim). 

Sculpture at Inhotim

The galleries and works of art can be reached through three suggested pathways, embelished and shadowed by palmtrees, which help the visitor face them on hotter days.

Fotography at Inhotim, questioning poverty and abandon

If you get too tired, you can take a rest on the banks made with trunks of huge dead trees.

I think each pathway can be done in a day, for an average adult in good shape and without any disability. 

Younger people could do it in two days. Older and people with some disability can take the eletric cars, for an approximate fee of 30 reais (about 10 dolars), hop-on hop-off service at all galleries and major artworks. Or you can rent one for your family for 500 reais (about 160 dolars). 

On the next posts I´ll comment my favorite galleries and works of art, made by artists from around the globe. 

Also, I´ll write some posts regarding the awesome gardens. 

Beheaded sculptures at Inhotim

For artlovers and botanic lovers, Inhotim cannot be missed on a trip to Brazil. It is also a hotspot for birdwatching. Well, Inhotim can be the sole purpose for a visit to Brazil. 

Forte São Diogo

Forte São Diogo

Forte São Diogo, at Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

The Forte São Diogo, is the third fortress on the entrance of All Saint´s Bay, just some meters from Forte Santa Maria. 

The two strongholds are separated by the Porto da Barra beach (see next post). 

The fortress is still kept by the Brazillian Army, and has a nice view from atop, for those willing to climb it. 

Built between 1626 and 1635, after the dutch invasion of Salvador (1624-1625), it granted the defense of Salvador in 1638, when a new atempt of foreign invasion was expelled. 

Also, a permanent art exposition of the argentinian artist Hector Julio Paride Bernabó, also known as Carybé, is held inside the fortification and can be visited under payment of 20 reais (about 6 US dollars). 

Carybé fell in love with Salvador, and made good friendship with Jorge Amado, Bahia´s most famos writer. Both are dead, but the Jorge Amado´s house in Pelourinho works as a museum which tells the history of the writer (see future post). Carybé died in Salvador, where some of its artwork can be found, as in this small museum inside Forte São Diogo.

A walktour through São Paulo´s graffiti

Walktours through São Paulo´s graffiti

Urbanoids and lovers of urban art can be amazed by the graffiti in São Paulo. Now there are two walktours offered by this site, acoording to a news published today at the Folha de São Paulo, the cities´most read newspaper. 

http://www.streetsofsaopaulo.com/

They basically offer two tours, one in the north zone and another one in the central/west zone.

Graffiti is controversial in São Paulo, though the city, known nationally as the stone-jungle, is in fact the perfect environment for pixações: the spray-made drawings, phrases and codes, sometimes impossible to be understood by people outside the scene. 

The drawers (known as pixadores) were since the 70s always trying to escape from the police and private guards. It seemend they wanted to put their sprays at the higher or most-difficult-to-get place, as an untold competition between themselves. High-rises with white walls and highways were always their main target. 

However, it is clear this kind of manifestation evolved, and graffiti nowadays is manytimes colourful and inspired, and it is becoming to be recognized as an art - not as a common opinion, let´s say. 

But some artistis like Osgêmeos ("The twins") and Kobra have some pieces exposed or even made abroad.

It is for sure an authentic popular and street art that is now getting international museums and the consent of many condos in São Paulo, which are accepting the panels made of graffiti. 

The Kobra´s panel in fronto of Shopping Paulista, at the beggining of Paulista Avenue, is one of the most famous graffitis in the city. It was a tribute to Oscar Niemayer, Brazil´s most famous architect, who died in recent years.