Rhythm Foundation’s members are active culture enthusiasts that bring vivacity to Miami. This week, the spotlight is on Adriana Sabino, co-founder and president of the Brazil-USA Cultural Center (Centro Cultural Brasil-USA – CCBU), a non-profit organization whose mission is to disseminate Brazilian culture in South Florida. Adriana Sabino was invited to curate an exhibition of the stadiums and cities of the World Cup in Brazil the Coral Gables Museum.
From Manaus, a metropolis in the middle of the Amazon Jungle; to Fortaleza, Natal, Recife, and Salvador on the Northeastern coast; to São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Rio, the economic and cultural powerhouses of the Southeast; to Brasilia, the capital and Unesco’s World Heritage City, and Cuiabá in the Mid-West; to Curitiba and Porto Alegre in the South; the exhibition will offer a cultural context to the games and their Host Cities.
Twelve cities, representing all five regions of Brazil won bids to host the games. Twelve stadiums had to be built or renovated to stage the games. The Exhibit, named 12 Stadiums | 12 Cities: Brazil 2014, presents the exciting diversity of Brazil as seen through the lens of the twelve Host Cities and the extraordinary architecture of the new and renovated stadiums (all of which incorporate sustainable features).In 2007 the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) designated Brazil as the Host Country of the 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP. When Brazil comes to mind, soccer inevitably does as well. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, with extreme geographical and ethnic diversity, but soccer is a unifying element. It is one of the strongest symbols of Brazilian identity and a strong source of national pride– Brazil’s national team has won more World Cups than any other.
The exhibit is divided into three sections: Cities, Stadiums, and Urban Soccer Culture. It will include photographs of the cities by native artists, architectural drawings and renderings of the stadiums, and objects that depict the ubiquitous presence of soccer culture throughout the nation. Besides the work in the Museum, there will be a parallel program of panel discussions with some of the architects who designed the stadiums, cultural lectures about Brazilian themes, films, art workshops for children, and match viewing parties at the outdoor plaza– Each meant to deepen the cultural understanding of this immense country.
There will be a VIP opening reception on June 5 (cocktails, hors d’oeuvres & music- $25), lectures by the architects who designed some of the stadiums (June 6, 4-6 p.m – free event); a lecture with renowned anthropologist and contemporary thinker, Roberto DaMatta (June 8 at 6 p.m); and a World Cup Opening viewing party (free) at the Museum Plaza with Brazilian party on June 12; among other events. 12 Stadiums | 12 Cities: Brazil 2014 will run from June 6 to September 28 at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33134.