It is considered the Versailles of the 21st century and is best compared to the Kröller-Müller Museum in the Netherlands. The Centro de Arte Contemporânea Inhotim is a nature park of 15 km² brimming with museums and sculptures.
The megalomaniac (in the most positive sense of the word) project of the eccentric mining tycoon Bernardo Paz opened its doors to the public in 2006 and since then only attracts 250,000 visitors a year. The park, however, is gaining an international reputation, and before long Inhotim will become one of the ‘must-see places’ in Brazil.
Back in time
Inhotim is located in Brumadinho, which is approximately a two hours’ drive from Belo Horizonte. This drive takes you through the incredible farmland, where it feels as if time stood still for the past 100 years. This is in contrast with Inhotim that is focused on modern and contemporary art, and that from time to time seems futuristic.
Works of art
The park harbors more than 500 works of 100 different artists from 30 countries, varying from installations, paintings, photography, video, audio, to sculptures.
One of the most discussed works is the Sonic Pavilion (2009) of Doug Aitken. It is a building underneath which a hole is drilled of approximately 200 meters deep. The installed microphones allow you to listen to the sounds made by Earth. An often recurring theme that is reflected in the artworks in Inhotim is art in relation to nature.
Botanical Gardens
The nature in the park is one as often seen in Brazil; of dazzling beauty. The park exhibits thousands of species of trees and plants, including the largest collection of palm trees in the world (1500). The versatile and varying landscape ensures that you are mesmerized at every turn you take. Inhotim is definitely a spot that nature enthusiasts will not easily forget.
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