Latin American Histories: MASP’s International Group Exhibition

Dr Eleanor Whitcombe • October 11, 2026 05:41

What, ultimately, defines Latin America? A question of such enormous scope calls for an equally expansive setting.

From 4 September, MASP will open the much-anticipated international group exhibition Latin American Histories, taking over no fewer than five floors of the Pietro Maria Bardi Building. Bringing together 187 works by 148 artists from 20 countries, the exhibition explores the symbols, wounds and creative power that link the continent.

Curated by Amanda Carneiro and Julieta González, the exhibition spans the pre-colonial period to the present day, rejecting a single linear or chronological account. Visitors will encounter a broad range of paintings, photographs, videos, textiles, historic maps and interventions, including works installed across the gallery floor and in dialogue with the windows overlooking Avenida Paulista itself.

The themes of Latin American Histories

The exhibition unfolds through five thought-provoking themes. In The world upside down, attention turns to dismantling the myth of the “tropical paradise” created by colonisers. Rhetoric of progress, meanwhile, considers the contradictions of urbanisation through a large-scale installation recreating the European map of Tenochtitlan.

Community resistance takes centre stage in American societies, while We are in salsa draws on Caribbean rhythm and artists including Cildo Meireles and Antonio Caro to discuss consumerism and economic dependency. Finally, The fall of the sky, inspired by the work of Davi Kopenawa and Bruce Albert, presents dreams and the environmental collapse of the Amazon as an urgent subject for reflection.

The exhibition design is a spectacle in its own right, drawing inspiration from the panels and diagonal cuts found in Hélio Oiticica’s work. As well as reinforcing the museum’s 2026 curatorial programme, the show is an essential stop on the city’s cultural circuit for anyone wishing to understand the roots and directions of our continent.

Information about the international group exhibition Latin American Histories

Address: MASP | Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand – Av. Paulista, 1578 – Bela Vista, São Paulo/SP
Opening dates and times: 4 September to 31 January 2027. Tuesday, 10:00–20:00; Wednesday and Thursday, 10:00–18:00; Friday, 10:00–21:00; Saturday and Sunday, 10:00–18:00. Closed on Mondays.
Price: Tickets cost R$ 85.00 (full price) | R$ 42.00 (concessionary rate).
Free entry: all day on Tuesdays and from 18:00 to 20:30 on Fridays. Online booking via the museum website is compulsory.
Best for: Visiting alone / With friends
Accessibility: Fully accessible, with ramps, lifts, audio-description resources, large-print texts and adapted Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) visits available on request by email.