Rio de Janeiro welcomed a new cultural center: the Italian Cultural Center Polo Cultural ItalianoRio – art, design, and innovation. This center is the result of an inter-institutional project between the Consulate General of Italy in Rio, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the European Institute of Design (EID). It aims to transform the first floor of Casa d’Italia into a multifunctional space, revitalize Praça Itália, adjacent to the building, and enhance the region through accessible cultural programming.
The center celebrated the National Day of the Italian Immigrant in Brazil on February 21, as well as the 150th anniversary of Italian immigration to the country, said Marco Marica, director of the Italian Cultural Institute, to Agência Brasil in an interview.
The new cultural center, located in the city center near Santos Dumont Airport, occupies an area of almost 500 square meters. The space is designed to host exhibitions of art, fashion, and design, as well as events focused on gastronomy, technology, and innovation. It will also offer courses, seminars, lecture series, and other programs. Plans include partnerships with other institutions to strengthen and establish cultural and scientific ties.
Friendship and Connection
Starting its annual program of temporary exhibitions, the Italian Cultural Center Polo Cultural ItalianoRio is currently presenting the exhibition “1874-2024: 150 Years of Friendship and Connection between Italy and Brazil, Together Towards the Future.” The exhibition features a 42 m² panel, graffitied by artist Bruno Big, depicting the arrival of immigrants and their contributions to coffee cultivation. It also includes videos and thematic panels highlighting their influence on the sociocultural formation of Rio de Janeiro and Brazilian society.
Marco Marica announced that the exhibition will be open to the public on the first floor of the cultural center until the end of the year. He added: “There will also be a showcase with old documents from the collection of the Consulate General, in addition to the unveiling of the logo for the 150th anniversary of Italian immigration to Brazil. The logo was selected through a contest launched by the Italian embassy in Brasília, which involved Italian schools across Brazil.”
The winning project was created by Joshua Azze Distel, a 17-year-old student in his fourth year of high school at Fondazione Torino. His design features a ship, symbolizing the means of transport used by millions of immigrants who embarked on long ocean journeys to the ‘new world’ in search of better living conditions.
Architecture
The exhibition Dell’Architettura — Italian Presence in the Urban Landscape of Rio was inaugurated in the mezzanine, featuring around 40 images of masters of architecture captured by photographer, professor, and visual artist Aristides Corrêa Dutra. The exhibition showcases the works of renowned Italian architects such as Ricardo Buffa, Luigi Fossati, Raffaele Rebecchi, Antonio Virzi, Mario Vodret, and Antonio Jannuzzi, who left their legacy in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Marco Marica also mentioned that the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of Italian immigration to Brazil will continue throughout the year, with events planned across the country. He added: “In March, we will hold a series of public presentations focused on university exchanges and scholarships.”
Source: Agência Brasil