Centre Pompidou debuts in South America with R$200 million museum in Foz do Iguaçu

One of the world's greatest icons of modern and contemporary art will have its first branch in the Americas — and the chosen destination was Foz do Iguaçu, in Paraná. The official announcement of the new Centre Pompidou unit was made in Paris at the end of May by Governor Ratinho Junior and the president of the French institution, Laurent Le Bon.

Scheduled to open by 2027, the Latin American branch of the museum will be built on a 24,000 m² plot of land donated by CCR Aeroportos, next to Foz International Airport and just a few minutes from Iguaçu National Park. The investment exceeds R$200 million, according to the state government.

With a project designed by award-winning Paraguayan architect Solano Benítez, winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2016, the new space promises to integrate architecture and territory with a proposal that is sensitive to the landscape of the Triple Frontier. The structure will house exhibition halls, a library, studios, laboratories, a restaurant and common areas.

The museum as an economic and cultural engine

The arrival of the Pompidou in Brazil marks a strategic shift in the international projection of Latin American art. The program will be multidisciplinary, focusing on exhibitions, shows and residencies focused on artistic production from Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

In addition to the cultural impact, the project reinforces the role of Foz do Iguaçu as a tourist and creative hub, adding value to the region already known worldwide for its Falls — elected one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the planet.

Negotiations with the French government began in 2020 and have advanced in recent months with technical visits and alignment meetings. Founded in 1977, the Centre Pompidou has a collection of more than 120 thousand works by names such as Picasso, Miró, Dalí and Frida Kahlo, and has branches in Belgium, Spain and China.

The Brazilian unit will be the first on South American soil — and a symbolic gesture of rapprochement between France and Brazil, which celebrate 200 years of diplomatic relations in 2025.
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