Itamaraty Palace: National Identity in a Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Icon

The construction of Brazil’s new capital, Brasília (1950–60s), raises important questions about the foundation of the country’s modern identity. The “synthesis of the arts” is a major aspect of Brazilian mid-century modern architecture, as it provided the much-sought validation within the country’s borders and abroad. Based on the aesthetic and narrative perspectives and the small number of artists/architects involved, national canon historiography argues that integration among architecture and other arts would have emerged within a supposedly homogeneous movement, much influenced by the architects based in Rio de Janeiro. The subject of this paper, the Itamaraty Palace, designed by Oscar Niemeyer and inaugurated in Brasília in 1970, challenges that view. Its works of integrated art compose an interesting and unique art collection and challenge that almost undisputed image of a homogeneous modern Brazil. Unlike other modern projects built in Brazil at the time, the almost twenty works of integrated art housed by the Palace, built to be the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were commissioned practically within the same period (1965–1970) from collaborators from different generations and artistic groups, ranging from abstract to figurative and afro-symbolic languages. Such diversity is due to the work of agents who were not artists nor architects, especially Wladimir Murtinho, a diplomat who led the political actions necessary to transfer the Ministry to Brasília, the dialogue with professionals in charge of construction and the selection of works of art. From this unique subject, this paper will debate the synthesis of the arts in Brazil, the different professionals involved and the formation and expression of national identity in this iconic building