{"id":410123,"date":"2026-05-06T16:51:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:51:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=410123"},"modified":"2026-05-06T16:51:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:51:52","slug":"brasilia-art-and-history-beyond-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/brasilia-art-and-history-beyond-politics\/","title":{"rendered":"Bras\u00edlia: Art and history beyond politics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 The Pra\u00e7a dos Tr\u00eas Poderes, home to the Pal\u00e1cio do Planalto<\/a>, the Supreme Federal Court (STF<\/a>), and the National Congress, features prominently in Brazilians\u2019 daily news and in decisions that shape Brazilians’ lives. But these landmarks are also works of art and architecture in a city that breathes history and culture and offers leisure even amid so many political negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building a capital in Brazil\u2019s Central-West was an insistence of President Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira (1956\u20131960), who commissioned the project to architect Oscar Niemeyer (1907\u20132012). He, however, recommended that the urban plan be designed by another professional and then focused on the buildings. A competition selected L\u00facio Costa (1902\u20131998) to plan the city. His proposal featured a cross, later dubbed the \u201cPlano Piloto\u201d \u2014 when looking at a map of Bras\u00edlia, one can see a design that resembles not a cross, but an airplane structured into the north wing, central axis, and south wing.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Itamaraty:
Itamaraty: Hub of Brazil\u2019s international affairs houses artworks by various artists<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Thus, the city, which now has 2.9 million inhabitants, was designed with residential and commercial buildings in the two \u201cwings,\u201d separated by the Monumental Axis, an avenue stretching more than 15 kilometers that is home to landmarks such as the Cathedral of Bras\u00edlia (Nossa Senhora Aparecida)<\/a>, the National Museum of the Republic<\/a>, the Arena Man\u00e9 Garrincha<\/a> football stadium, the Memorial of Indigenous Peoples<\/a>, and the JK Memorial<\/a>. It is also along this avenue that the Esplanade of the Ministries is located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one end, the Monumental Axis meets the Pra\u00e7a dos Tr\u00eas Poderes, which brings together at each point the Pal\u00e1cio do Planalto, seat of the Executive branch; the STF, the country\u2019s highest court; and the National Congress, where laws are passed in the Chamber and the Senate. In front of the STF, the statue The Justice<\/em>, by Alfredo Ceschiatti, depicts the Greek goddess of justice, Themis, blindfolded. Another sculpture, The Candangos<\/em>, by Bruno Giorgi, pays tribute to the workers who, in five years, built a city where there had once been a sparsely populated area. \u201cCandangos\u201d was the term used for workers from across Brazil who migrated to build Bras\u00edlia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art everywhere<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Also by Ceschiatti are the works As Iaras<\/em>, located at the Pal\u00e1cio da Alvorada<\/a>, the official residence of the president; Leda e o Cisne<\/em>, at the Pal\u00e1cio do Jaburu<\/a>, where the vice president lives; and Duas amigas<\/em>, at the Itamaraty Palace<\/a>, headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city\u2019s works of art and architecture \u201cdialogue\u201d with the interior decoration of its buildings and with the surrounding landscaping. When Bras\u00edlia is mentioned, two names almost automatically come to mind: Oscar Niemeyer and L\u00facio Costa. But it is the visual artist Athos Bulc\u00e3o (1918\u20132008) whose panels, tiles, and reliefs stand out across the capital\u2019s main landmarks. The graphic patterns based on geometric forms created by Athos Bulc\u00e3o welcome visitors as early as the Aeroporto Internacional Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek<\/a>, as well as at the National Congress and the Itamaraty Palace, among many other places.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Congresso
National Congress: Beyond political decisions, the building is one of Niemeyer\u2019s works of art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Creations by Athos Bulc\u00e3o can also be seen during a visit to Itamaraty. The building was completed in 1970, after the inauguration of Bras\u00edlia. To present Brazil to the world and celebrate the country\u2019s ties with other nations, it was built predominantly with Brazilian materials and houses works by leading names in Brazilian and international art, including Candido Portinari, Alfredo Volpi, Djanira, Maria Martins, Tomie Ohtake, and Iber\u00ea Camargo. Another Brazilian artist contributed to the design of Itamaraty: the gardens and reflecting pool surrounding the building were created by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx (1909\u20131994).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly all of Bras\u00edlia\u2019s government addresses feature design, architecture, and engineering solutions that are recognized, admired, and studied. This wealth of history and its distinctive architectural ensemble led Bras\u00edlia to be designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1987.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bras\u00edlia also offers breathing space, greenery, and views of Lake Parano\u00e1, an artificial lake created to make the region less dry and now a leisure area for residents. One of the best views in the city can be enjoyed at Pont\u00e3o do Lago Sul<\/a>. In addition to being a dining hub, it offers cultural attractions and ample parking\u2014an advantage in a city still reliant on cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bras\u00edlia can be seen, felt, and also heard. It is informally known as the capital of Brazilian rock. Bands such as Capital Inicial, Plebe Rude, and Legi\u00e3o Urbana, among others, emerged there. Some even referenced Bras\u00edlia in their songs, often with critiques of power. Despite the challenges imposed by politics, Brazil\u2019s capital surprises and is well worth a visit. It is home to decisions that shape people\u2019s lives and the guardian of an architectural and cultural ensemble that represents a chapter in Brazil\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translated by Guilherme Miranda<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marcos Carrieri\/ANBA<\/div>
Collection of the General Coordination of Historical Heritage\/Brazil Foreign Ministry<\/div>
Marcos Carrieri\/ANBA<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Amid the debates and discussions of the Republic, Brazil\u2019s capital is home to artworks and architecture that have earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2317,"featured_media":410104,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[7386,56726,9774,56724,56723,42192,7320,56725,56727],"class_list":{"0":"post-410123","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tourism","8":"tag-airport","9":"tag-athos-bulcao-2","10":"tag-brasilia-en","11":"tag-lucio-costa","12":"tag-monumental-axis","13":"tag-oscar-niemeyer-en","14":"tag-politics","15":"tag-pontao-do-lago-sul","16":"tag-visitor"},"wps_subtitle":"Amid the debates and discussions of the Republic, Brazil\u2019s capital is home to artworks and architecture that have earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2317"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410123"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":410125,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410123\/revisions\/410125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}