Museu Internacional de Arte Naïf do Brasil, Naïve art museum in Cosme Velho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The International Museum of Naïve Art of Brazil was an art museum in Rio de Janeiro focused on self-taught artists from around the world. The building in Cosme Velho displayed about 6,000 paintings and sculptures, including some of the largest works in this art form.
The museum opened in 1995 and spent two decades as a home for artists without academic training. It closed in 2016 due to financial difficulties after establishing itself as a major venue for this art form.
The museum gathered works by artists from over 100 countries, each bringing their own untrained perspective to art-making. These collections showed how people from different backgrounds saw their world and what they chose to paint.
The museum was housed in a classic building in Cosme Velho, close to the rack railway up to Corcovado, making it easy to reach by public transport. Visitors were expected to call ahead to confirm access and hours before planning their visit.
The museum held two of the largest naïve art paintings in existence, monumental works of impressive scale rarely seen elsewhere. These massive pieces showed how powerful and compelling the output of untrained artists could truly be.
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