Instituto Moreira Salles

Instituto Moreira Salles is an art museum and nonprofit organization in Rio de Janeiro dedicated to photography, literature, music, and visual arts across its exhibition spaces. The building features multiple galleries displaying works from its permanent collections and contemporary installations.

Walter Moreira Salles founded this institution in 1992 with support from Unibanco and his family to promote Brazilian culture and the arts. Over the following years, it became an important center for art collections and contemporary exhibitions throughout Brazil.

The institute holds an extensive archive of Brazilian photographs spanning over a century that captures how the country and its communities have transformed. You can see through these images how artists documented everyday life, social movements, and cultural moments across different regions.

The institute offers exhibitions and cultural programming, though parts of the main building are undergoing renovation, so it is best to check ahead about what is currently accessible. Visitors should confirm which galleries are open and where some events may be held at partner venues.

The organization publishes ZUM Magazine, focused on contemporary photography, and serrote, a quarterly journal featuring essays and intellectual discussions about art and culture. These publications bring works and ideas from artists and thinkers to readers who might not encounter them elsewhere.