The first two stages of work to install the Museum of Contemporary Art of RS (MACRS) on Rua Comendador Azevedo, in the 4th District of Porto Alegre, have already been completed, representing 20% of the final project. The conclusion of this phase was marked by the visit, on the morning of this Thursday (25), by the Secretary of State for Culture (Sedac), Beatriz Araujo, and the acting Secretary of Public Works (SOP), Zilá Breitenbach. With an investment totaling R$3.2 million in resources from Avançar na Cultura, a program run by Sedac, the Museum is expected to inaugurate its permanent headquarters, called MACRS 4D, in March 2025, when it completes 33 years of foundation.
Between February and April of this year, the roof was replaced, the water tank and internal areas, the hydraulic, electrical and rainwater installations, the frames and the concrete floor were demolished with a polished concrete finish. In a symbolic act, this Thursday morning, MAC director, Adriana Boff, led the secretaries and other visitors in their first steps on the new floor. In the external area, bases for installing containers and pergolas have also been completed.
The building’s readjustment is divided into eight stages and is the first state equipment to be installed in the fourth district. Secretary Beatriz Araujo celebrated the progress of the project which, according to her, was made possible through the coordination of public authorities and civil society. “This achievement is the result of the partnership we have with society, through the Association of Friends of MAC [AAMACRS]and with the Department of Works, and this will be a neighborhood museum, which will work a lot with the community”, he informed.
Visitors will also have access to the foyer, store and exhibition gallery. According to the institution’s director, Adriana Boff, “it will be a Museum with social commitment and contemporary art, with an educational space for social projects already initiated by the Associação dos Amigos”. There will also be a sculpture garden with works from the collection, a gastronomic operation and two historic Carris trams, donated by the Civil Police.
The acting Secretary of Public Works, Zilá Breitenbach, said it was an important moment, considering the government’s history of difficulties in making investments. “There were no resources for works in the area of culture and today a dream of more than 30 years is being revived”, he considered, adding that “without this floor, we cannot move forward”, alluding to the first steps taken on the installed polished concrete on site.
In addition to the secretaries Beatriz Araujo and Zilá Breitenbach, and the director of MACRS, Adriana Boff, the president of AAMACRS, Maria Fernanda Santin, and the directors of Memory and Heritage at Sedac, Eduardo Hahn, were present at the inspection of the work on the new Museum headquarters. , and the Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage of the State (Iphae), Carlos Renato Savoldi. Also participating in the visit were SOP’s Undersecretary of Infrastructure and Public Heritage, Giovane Wickert, and the Deputy Director of SOP’s Department of Projects and Miscellaneous Buildings, Johny Berti.
About space
The MACRS headquarters will occupy an area of approximately 2,300 m² of the property donated by the State government in 2019. The area has 496 m² on the ground floor, 125 m² on the upper floor and 1,760 m² of external patio. The space renovation and readjustment project was donated by the Association of Friends of MACRS, and the investment was authorized by the Executive in December 2023. The work is expected to be completed by October. The work is carried out by Plano M Construtora. Supervision of the work is the responsibility of the 1st Regional Public Works Coordination (Crop).
The 4th District of Porto Alegre, where the Museum will be installed, has undergone constant revitalization, becoming a region of entrepreneurial, cultural and leisure activities for a young audience, which connects with art and contemporary movements in society .
