Modern Art Museum of Bahia

Founded in 1960

The Italian architect Lina Bo Bardi created the MAM-BA with the intention of creating a museum-school to encourage and expose the cultural production of the Nordeste. Opened in 1960, the Modern Art Museum of Bahia (MAM) was installed in the foyer of the Teatro Castro Alves, and in 1966 transferred to the Solar da Unhão, a building erected in the 17th century in the historical site of Salvador.
The main change that the architect did in the Solar da Unhão’s structure was to demolished the second floor of the mansion, in order to create a large wooden staircase, replicating those used in the bullock cart. Despite the importance of Lina for the MAM-BA, the architect wass fired in 1964 during the military coup.

The MAM-BA is considered the main space for contemporary art in Bahia and one of the most important in the country, through which passes an audience of approximately 200,000 people per year. Its five exhibition rooms receive works of famous artists from Brazil and abroad. The museum has an outdoor gallery (the Sculpture Park) and a movie theater, in addition to Rubem Valentim’s room. The artistic and cultural events, in different languages, ​​and the educational and artistic activities are part of the MAM-BA’s programing. One of the museum’s highlights are the MAM’s Workshops, who completed 31 years of existence in 2011.