The MIS-RJ project has been embroiled in controversy from the start, sparking conversations around urban redevelopment as the state government sought to sanitise Rio\u2019s image ahead of events like the 2014 Fifa World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. The site previously housed a nightclub, founded in the 1980s, that was notorious for prostitution. When it was bulldozed in 2010, the move prompted backlash from people who argued that this would force sex workers onto the streets; at the time, workers spoke to Brazilian media outlets<\/a> about their fears of displacement and income loss.<\/p>\n The museum has stalled several times since it broke ground in 2011 and cycled through the jurisdiction of several governments, causing setbacks as administrations changed hands and shifted their priorities. The government suspended funding for the project in 2016 as it encountered more complex challenges, including an ongoing economic downturn exacerbated by the aftermath of the impeachment of Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff that same year.<\/p>\n Work on the museum only resumed in 2021, after being virtually abandoned, with the current state government committing to completing the 329.2m reais ($62.5m) project with a mix of public and private funds. Its corporate donors include the Brazilian bank Ita\u00fa, the mining company Vale and the media company Rede Globo.<\/p>\n Danielle Barros, the Rio de Janeiro state secretary for culture, says the MIS-RJ\u2019s completion marks a major milestone for her department, which has focused on bolstering cultural institutions throughout the state. \u201cThe resumption of the construction was a commitment of governor Cl\u00e1udio Castro\u2019s administration, which recognises the importance of this historic institution as a cultural legacy for Brazil,\u201d Barros tells The Art Newspaper. \u201cWe understand this is an icon of Brazilian art. The MIS-RJ was conceived as a living museum, where contemporary cultural production will be continually incorporated into the collection, ensuring its ongoing relevance over time.\u201d<\/p>\n A storied history Inside the new Museum of Image and Sound, Rio de Janeiro Photo: Karoline Freitas, courtesy the Museum of Image and Sound<\/p>\n The MIS-RJ was originally founded in 1965 in a 20th-century building at the Pra\u00e7a XV. The structure was constructed as a makeshift pavilion for an exhibition celebrating the centenary of Brazilian independence, featuring artists like Candido Portinari and Eliseu Visconti. The building remains under the stewardship of the MIS-RJ foundation, which has shifted operations to its headquarters at a site in the downtown neighbourhood of Lapa acquired in 1990.<\/p>\n The foundation that oversees the MIS-RJ holds a collection spanning more than 650,000 audiovisual and other objects, including works of art, recordings, films, photographs, musical instruments and the archives of Brazilian artists and musicians\u2014among them the groundbreakers Gilberto Gil, Tom Jobim and Chico Buarque.<\/p>\n There has been a major focus on making the collection digitally accessible, with the launch of a comprehensive online database that provides access to its collection. In the past, facilities to accommodate researchers were insufficient. While the Copacabana site will focus on exhibitions and public-facing programmes, the Lapa space will continue to house the MIS-RJ\u2019s collection storage and research centre.<\/p>\n \u201cSince the start of the project, every administration that has overseen the foundation has made sure to keep the collection in appropriate conditions for preservation and use,\u201d says Cesar Miranda Ribeiro, the president of the MIS-RJ foundation. \u201cOver this period, the institution has also advanced in terms of content, incorporating new collections into its archive and expanding curatorial possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7ca129cd505517a7eb9eb7fd44a9c23dc7b2eb54-2000x1125.jpg\"\/)
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