The Modern Art Museum of Niterói (MAC), located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, invites visitors to its rooftop starting this Saturday (November 7th). This activity is part of an installation titled 'Teto – De onde não se vê quando se está' (Rooftop – Where you cannot see when you are there), created by architect Pedro Varella. The installation allows visitors to observe Guanabara Bay from the height of the building designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The visit will last until November 22nd, the city's birthday celebration, and is part of the museum's 30th anniversary program.
MAC, known for its outstanding view of the Niterói waterfront, will be perceived from a new angle by those who ascend to the roof. From this vantage point, one can see the entrance to Guanabara Bay without including the building's structure itself in the frame. From above, the surface that appears concave from below begins to be perceived as convex.
Access is provided via a circular staircase installed on a section of the ramp leading to the exhibition level. Before the construction of the museum, which opened in 1996, Mirante da Boa Viagem was located on this site, facing the waters of the bay.
The installation was developed by the Gru.a bureau, co-founded by Varella, and was initially presented in 2017, when it received the 3rd Rinaldo Roelds Jr. Prize awarded in partnership between MAC and the Park Lage School of Visual Arts.
This year, visits will be conducted in groups of up to 15 people, lasting 15 minutes, with ten-minute breaks between ascents. Tickets will be issued directly at the museum after cash payment, at four set times: 9:30, 11:30, 13:30, and 15:30, in order of arrival. Advance booking is not available. The first ascent is scheduled for 10:00, and the last for 17:20.
The minimum age requirement for participation is 12 years old; minors under 16 must be supervised by a responsible adult. Activities may be suspended due to weather conditions and are not held on rainy or windy days.
In addition to the rooftop tours, the museum is hosting four anniversary exhibitions. In the Central Hall, MAC Monumental displays about 130 large-scale works from the MAC Niterói and Juan Sattamini collections. In MAC Panorama, located on the mezzanine, the history of the museum is told through works from its collection, including pieces by artists such as Adriana Varejão, Flávio Shiró, Victor Arruda, and Marcia H.
For the young audience, MAC para crianças offers activities designed to help children approach art through drawing and games. The program also includes the Sentir pra ver exhibition, a multi-sensory display using models and audio descriptions to enhance accessibility to the artworks.
