A Panorama of Must-See Exhibitions in Brazil in 2026

In 2026, Brazil’s cultural landscape gains new momentum with standout exhibitions. We have selected the year’s must-see programs, bringing together shows set to shape the country’s cultural agenda.

39th Panorama of Brazilian Art

One of the highlights of 2026 is the 39th Panorama of Brazilian Art, the country’s leading exhibition dedicated to Brazilian contemporary art, marking the reopening of the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo. After more than a year closed for renovations at Ibirapuera Park, the museum returns with After Everything Has Been Said, curated by Diane Lima. The exhibition explores how racial reparation and affirmative action have reshaped Brazilian art, framing artistic practice as confrontation, radical imagination, and a critical lens on past, present, and future.

Latin American Histories, retrospective of Jesús Soto and Beatriz Milhazes at MASP
In 2026, MASP will finalize the integration of its two buildings with the opening of a tunnel linking the new tower to Lina Bo Bardi’s iconic structure, featuring a mural by Beatriz Milhazes. The museum’s main highlight is Latin American Histories, a major international exhibition spanning five floors that examines the contested idea of Latin America through themes of colonization, resistance, migration, and cosmology. In November, MASP also will present a retrospective of Jesús Soto, revisiting his experimental practice and influential role in kinetic art and Latin American modernism.

Retrospective of Nam June Paik at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo
In the second half of the year, the Pinacoteca de São Paulo will present an unprecedented retrospective of Nam June Paik, a pioneer of video art. Organized in partnership with the Nam June Paik Art Center and Hyundai Motor, the exhibition occupies spaces at Pina Contemporânea starting in October. In dialogue with Paik’s work,  Biarritzzz, Christine Sun Kim, Jane Jin Kaisen and Vivian Caccuri will show newly commissioned pieces.

Fernando Lemos and Albert Frisch at Instituto Moreira Salles
At IMS Paulista, exhibitions focus on key trajectories and archives in the history of photography, highlighting two figures from the IMS collection: Fernando Lemos and Albert Frisch. The shows revisit Lemos’s multifaceted body of work and reassess Frisch’s early photographs of the Amazon, questioning their colonial perspective. Indigenous artists and researchers take part in the project, offering new interpretations of these historical images.

Daniel Buren at MAM RJ

In January 2026, MAM Rio presents the first Brazilian edition of Voile/Toile – Toile/Voile, a project by Daniel Buren that has been presented since the 1970s in cities around the world and transforms boat sails into artistic supports.The work begins with a regatta-performance in Guanabara Bay, as sailboats depart from Marina da Glória with sails marked by the artist’s stripes, turning the route to Flamengo Beach into a moving intervention. After the race, the sails become part of an installation at the museum, arranged according to their order of arrival and extending the experience from sea to exhibition space.

Cildo Meireles, Lais Myrrha, Dalton Paula and Davi de Jesus do Nascimento at Inhotim

Inhotim celebrates 20 years of operation with a special program. Highlights include a new monumental sculpture by Lais Myrrha and the expansion of the Cildo Meireles Gallery, which will now house Mission/Missions (How to Build Cathedrals). Solo exhibitions by Dalton Paula and Davi de Jesus do Nascimento will also be featured this year.

Art Fairs
In the art market, SP–Arte, Latin America’s leading art fair, takes place from April 8 to 12, 2026, at the Biennial Pavilion in Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo. ArtRio follows from September 16 to 20, 2026 at Marina da Glória.

Brazilian Representation at the Venice Biennale
In 2026, attention also turns to Brazil’s participation in the 61st Venice Biennale, with Adriana Varejão and Rosana Paulino representing the country from May onward. Curated by Diane Lima, the exhibition Comigo ninguém pode (Nobody Can With Me) reflects on resistance, ambiguity, and protection through the metaphor of the plant that gives the show its title.

Fernando Piola for London Art Walk
January 2026