Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SÃO PAULO SÃO PAULO CITY
Itaim Bibi and Pinheiros
he tra c-choked Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, with the mixed residential and
commercial neighbourhoods of Itaim Bibi towards its southern end, and popular
after-dark destination Pinheiros to the north, is the main artery of São Paulo's newest
business expanse. Although the latest buildings around here have generally been
constructed at a break-neck speed, leaving little time for architectural reflection,
Pinheiros is not without its attractions - although you'll have to go some distance
from the main concentration of of ce development to find them.
Instituto Tomie Ohtake
Av Brigadeiro Faria Lima 201 (entrance on Rua Coropés) • Tues-Sun 11am-8pm • Free • T 11 2245 1900, W www.institutotomieohtake
.org.br • M Faria Lima
One construction you won't fail to notice in Pinheiros is the striking red-and-blue
o ce building at Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima 201 designed by Ruy Ohtake , one
of Brazil's most important contemporary architects. Other buildings of his include
hotels such as the Unique (see p.507). Opened in 2002, the building is notable for
its curved lines and use of colour, both characteristic of Ohtake's work and a
deliberate move away from the modernist tradition that has been so dominant
in Brazilian architecture.
Housed on the lower floors of the building, the Instituto Tomie Ohtake honours the
Japanese-Brazilian artist Tomie Ohtake - the architect's mother. The artist's early
Brazilian work (notably landscapes) is most closely informed by her Japanese
background, but it is still apparent after her shift to abstraction, in which the restrained
brushstroke remains the key element. Although only a small portion of the exhibition
space features her work - in rotating displays that highlight particular periods or
themes - this section is always well worth a look. Otherwise the galleries are devoted to
temporary exhibits of contemporary Brazilian artists or influential twentieth-century
Brazilian constructivists. There's also a gift shop and a restaurant.
8
Vila Madalena
he Vila Madalena neighbourhood (“Vila Madá” to its aficionados) at the northern
end of Pinheiros has been a trendy student hangout since the 1970s. Its resulting high
density of bars and nightspots makes it the best part of town to head for an evening's
drinking and entertainment. Shops in the area tend to be small, independent concerns
rather than malls and chain stores, and there are quite a few art galleries and bookshops
too. Vila Madalena gained nationwide fame in 1999 when a popular soap opera - also
called Vila Madalena - was set here.
The neighbourhood's main tourist attraction is Beca do Batman (Batman Alley,
o cially Rua Gonçalo Afonso), a small street whose walls are completely covered in
THE SÃO PAULO BIENAL
The São Paulo Bienal ( W biennialfoundation.org/biennials/sao-paolo-biennialv) has been held
in the Parque do Ibirapuera every two years since 1951. It's widely considered to be the most
important exhibition of contemporary visual art in Latin America, and São Paulo was the
second city in the world to hold one of these Biennial festivals after the original one in Venice
(there are now quite a number of them at locations worldwide). At São Paulo's event, each Latin
American country sponsors work by its most influential contemporary artists, while a select few
artists (living or dead) are also chosen by the Bienal's curators. At best, the Bienal can be an
exhilarating venue to see important retrospectives and experience a wealth of innovative art,
but at worst it can be little more than an embarrassing - or amusing - showing of fourth-rate
global art. The Bienal is now held in October and November in even-numbered years.
OPPOSITE PRAÇA DA SÉ P.488 >
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search