São Paulo: What to See in the Second Half of 2026

As we do every semester, we’ve put together a selection of exhibitions and events planned for the second half of 2026 in São Paulo. The information comes from announcements made by the institutions themselves or from reporting by specialist cultural press  and, as with any programme, details are subject to change. That said, it’s well worth keeping an eye on the ones you don’t want to miss. From the institutional circuit to commercial galleries, with a fair thrown in for good measure, the semester has serious weight and something for everyone. To make it easier for those visiting from outside the city, we’ve grouped everything by neighbourhood.

CENTRO HISTÓRICO

Caixa Cultural São Paulo – The institution will present “Rembrandt – O Mestre da Luz” e da Sombra from 29th July to 27th September 2026, curated by Italian historian Luca Baroni. The show has already toured Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Vitória, and comprises 69 original prints by the Dutch master. It marks the first time an authenticated body of Rembrandt’s work has travelled through Brazil.

BELA VISTA AND CERQUEIRA CÉSAR

Itaú Cultural — From August to November 2026, the institution presents Outras escalas — Desenhos, Vídeos, Instalações, the most comprehensive survey of Solange Pessoa’s work ever staged in Brazil, curated by Franklin Pedroso. The Minas Gerais-born artist’s practice departs from organic materials, clay, leather, bone, and moves across sculpture, installation, ceramics and drawing, circling questions of memory, the body and spirituality.

MASP — Pablo Delano: Museu da Antiga Colônia runs from 30th October 2026 to 31st January 2027. The exhibition examines the enduring structures of colonialism through the lens of Puerto Rico’s history, drawing on objects, photographs, newspapers and films. Running in parallel, Rosa Elena Curruchich: Crônicas de Comalapa (30th October 2026 – 4th April 2027) brings a long-overdue retrospective of the Guatemalan indigenous painter whose work remained largely invisible for decades. Both form part of the curatorial strand Histórias Latino-Americanas, which runs throughout MASP’s 2026 programme.

Also at MASP, the Lina Bo Bardi Building will host a major exhibition dedicated to Jesús Rafael Soto, from 27th November 2026 to 4th April 2027, curated by Adriano Pedrosa. The works span the 1950s to the 1980s, Soto’s most experimental period, with pieces that dissolve the boundary between viewer and viewed. His Penetráveis, structures that the public can walk through, remain the most radical and well-known expression of this proposition.

LUZ / SANTA IFIGÊNIA

Pinacoteca Luz — From 5th September 2026 to 31st January 2027, the institution presents an exhibition dedicated to Ismael Nery, one of the most singular figures of Brazilian modernism. The show occupies seven galleries on the first floor of the Pina Luz.

Pinacoteca Contemporânea– This second Pinacoteca address will present “Via Satélite: Nam June Paik em diálogo com Vivian Caccuri”, an unprecedented retrospective of the South Korean video art pioneer, in conversation with four contemporary artists: Biarritzzz, Christine Sun Kim, Jane Jin Kaisen and Vivian Caccuri. The exhibition runs from 17th October 2026 to 16th May 2027.

HIGIENÓPOLIS / SANTA CECÍLIA

MAB FAAP – The largest exhibition ever dedicated to Joan Miró in Brazil opens on 7th August 2026, bringing together more than 100 works by the Catalan artist, paintings, prints, sculptures, tapestries, photographs and historical documents, many of them never before shown outside Europe. Curated by Jordi J. Clavero and organised around five thematic sections, Miró: Mestre das Formas is a rare opportunity to experience in person the shapes and colours he forged into a language entirely his own, somewhere between Surrealism and abstraction. The exhibition runs until 12th October 2026.

Janaina Torres Galeria — The gallery has just announced that 15th August will mark the opening of a group exhibition celebrating a decade of its existence. Further details are yet to be revealed,  we’ll keep you posted.

IBIRAPUERA

MAM São Paulo – “Depois que Tudo Foi Dito”, the 39th Panorama da Arte Brasileira curated by Diane Lima, opens on 12th September 2026 and runs until 24th January 2027. The exhibition also marks the museum’s return to its home in Ibirapuera following a lengthy period of renovation, during which it presented shows at partner institutions across the city. The show brings together 33 artists from 13 Brazilian states, among them Jota Mombaça, Fykyá Pankararu and Allan Weber.

JARDINS / CERQUEIRA CÉSAR

Galeria Luisa Strina – Folha de S.Paulo announced via its social media channels a solo exhibition by Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar, expected to open in August. Title and precise dates are yet to be confirmed, but it’s well worth watching — Jaar is one of the most talked-about names at this year’s Venice Biennale.

VILA LEOPOLDINA

SP-Arte Rotas | ARCA | 26th–30th August – The curated project fair reaches its fifth edition under the artistic direction of Bernardo Mosqueira, who succeeds Rodrigo Moura. Around 70 new projects explore Brazilian art in dialogue with the wider Latin American scene, with a spotlight on the Mirante sector, the central space of the fair, bringing together paintings, sculptures and installations that gesture towards possible directions for contemporary art. The programme also includes talks between artists and curators.

JARDIM EUROPA / VILA OLÍMPIA

MuBE — Museu Brasileiro da Escultura e Ecologia – The work of Nazareth Pacheco will occupy MuBE from 18th July to 31st October 2026. “Nazareth Pacheco: Jogos de Contaminação”, curated by Amanda Tavares, brings together new works alongside four decades of production from an artist who transforms the female body, pain and resistance into material, working with objects that seduce as much as they wound.

PINHEIROS

Instituto Tomie Ohtake – The institute turns 25 in 2026, with a programme that culminates in November (exact date to be confirmed) in an exhibition dedicated to the artist Tomie Ohtake herself. Before that, the institute presents a solo show by American artist Sheila Hicks, a key reference in contemporary textile sculpture.

This is the confirmed programme as it stands — but São Paulo, as ever, holds surprises in store: last-minute openings, shows that appear without warning, and projects that fly under the radar before becoming the talk of the season. What’s already on the calendar is more than enough to be getting on with: the reopening of MAM in Ibirapuera after a long period away; MASP deepening its focus on Latin America; and the possible Alfredo Jaar solo at Luisa Strina — one of the most talked-about artists at this year’s Venice Biennale — all without counting what’s still to come.

London Art Walk will be following the city’s programme closely. Every month we publish our newsletter with the exhibitions currently on in São Paulo, and on our social media you’ll find visits we’ve already made and the latest news as it happens. If you’re not yet subscribed or following us, the links are in the bio.

Marilia Lopes for London Art Walk
July 2026