Brazilian collector Bernardo Paz plans new art complex near Inhotim
A former mining magnate is deploying significant private capital to build a large-scale cultural complex in Brazil, highlighting the continued role of private wealth in global arts infrastructure even as established institutions pivot toward sustainability.
A new 311-acre museum and botanical garden is under development in Brumadinho, Brazil, spearheaded by former mining magnate and art collector Bernardo Paz. Construction will proceed in phases, with the inaugural pavilions of the Museu Bernardo Paz welcoming visitors in September 2027.
Brazilian media have estimated the capital outlay for the complex at roughly $195m. A spokesperson for the development dismissed that valuation as exaggerated, though they declined to disclose an actual budget for the site, which will eventually host up to 40 pavilions.
The site will serve as the primary venue for Paz’s private collection, which comprises an estimated 3,000 works. These will be exhibited alongside pieces from established international figures and a younger generation of South American creators.
Early installations will feature dedicated structures for American artist Michael Heizer, alongside Brazilians Anna Maria Maiolino and Sonia Gomes. Further site-specific commissions remain in development for the outdoor and indoor gallery spaces.
For the global cultural sector, the project underscores the enduring capacity of private wealth to finance large-scale physical infrastructure. While many European museums face strict public budgets and are repurposing existing spaces for sustainability, private patrons in emerging markets continue to pursue expansive, ground-up developments.
Paz frames the initiative as an exploration of spatial and cultural dynamics. “This new museum and botanical garden is taking root and flourishing from my belief in the creative potential of unexpected encounters,” he stated.
To execute this vision, Paz has assembled a seasoned curatorial team. His principal adviser is Allan Schwartzman, a co-founder of Inhotim, alongside Paulo Miyada, who recently departed São Paulo’s Instituto Tomie Ohtake, and Fernanda Arruda, a former Inhotim assistant curator.
The new entity will operate as a nonprofit, though Paz is currently leading and fully funding the initiative while its governance structure is developed. This centralized financial control mirrors his historical approach to cultural philanthropy in the region.
Paz originally opened Inhotim on a nearby farm in 2006, building it into one of Latin America’s most prominent contemporary art institutions before stepping down as board chair in 2017. That departure followed a lower court money laundering conviction regarding corporate transfers, which a federal appeals court ultimately overturned in 2020.
Following his legal clearance, Paz donated around 330 artworks and the original site's land and galleries to the nonprofit Instituto Inhotim in 2022. He no longer holds any executive or operational role at the original 346-acre site, which is now prioritizing the repurposing of existing buildings over the construction of new individual pavilions.
