CASACOR Rio 2026 brings together exhibitions that connect art, design, architecture and memory in Downtown Rio

CASACOR Rio de Janeiro, in its 35th edition, expands the space dedicated to art, design, memory and the city, transforming the tour through the Aliança da Bahia Building into a cultural experience. Under the theme "Mind and Heart", the show brings together exhibitions and installations that propose different ways of looking at the city and at the construction of spaces.

Until November 8, 2026, the edition establishes a direct relationship with the architectural and cultural heritage surrounding the modernist building, located in downtown Rio. The choice of address reinforces the proposal of looking at the past not as something static, but as a living layer, capable of receiving new uses and producing new experiences.

Bebo Arquitetos - Bel Lobo e Mari Travassos - A Forma Informal – Sergio Rodrigues. Projeto da CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026. (André Nazareth/CASACOR)

In this context, CASACOR Rio also joins the program of the Art and Culture Week, a festival that expands the city's cultural circuit by bringing together expressions such as art, design, architecture, music and other languages.

A tour through art, design, architecture and memory

For those visiting CASACOR Rio during the Art and Culture Week, it is worth paying attention to the different expressions that appear along the tour. On each floor, an experience establishes a particular relationship between art, design, architecture, memory, craftsmanship and matter.

On the 7th floor, the Expo Rio Entre Tempos, curated by Joaquim Marçal, uses CASACOR's location as a starting point to investigate the urban and architectural transformations that have taken place in downtown Rio. The exhibition brings together historical and contemporary photographs of 12 emblematic buildings in the region and proposes a reading of the city based on its history and memory.

Joaquim Marçal - Galeria Rio Memórias - Expo Entre Tempos. Projeto da CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026. (André Nazareth/CASACOR)

The narrative is built from the different layers that make up the Rio landscape. The former Morro do Castelo, dismantled at the beginning of the 20th century, marks the start of a trajectory shaped by successive processes of construction, demolition and reconstruction. Along the way, buildings that represent different moments in the city's history come to light, among them the Gustavo Capanema Palace, the headquarters of the Brazilian Press Association, the Theatro Municipal and the Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro.

Joaquim Marçal - Galeria Rio Memórias - Expo Entre Tempos. Projeto da CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026. (André Nazareth/CASACOR)

On the terrace, four large orientation panels return this view to the real landscape. From them, visitors are invited to identify, in the downtown skyline, some of the buildings featured in the exhibition, turning the observation of the city into an experience of recognition and memory.

"These buildings reflect important phases in the political, economic and social history of our city and our country. They are distinct architectural approaches applied to our public and private buildings, which follow one another or coexist, sometimes in an antagonistic way," comments Joaquim Marçal.

Bebo Arquitetos - Bel Lobo e Mari Travassos - A Forma Informal – Sergio Rodrigues. Projeto da CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026. (André Nazareth/CASACOR)

On the 6th floor, The Informal Form celebrates the centennial of Sergio Rodrigues through a contemporary reading of his work. Designed by Bel Lobo and Marianna Travassos, of Bebo Arquitetos, the project revisits the SR2 system, drawings and references from the designer's original creative process, in a proposal that also preserves features of the building.

Marcelo Monteiro e Vanda Klabin - Galeria do Artista Expo Interseções. Projeto da CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026. (André Nazareth/CASACOR)

On the 5th floor, the Artist's Gallery Expo Intersections presents an installation by Marcelo Monteiro, curated by Vanda Klabin. The proposal investigates the relationships between art, matter and process through the combination of wood, tools, manual procedures and industrial elements.

Marcelo Monteiro e Vanda Klabin - Galeria do Artista Expo Interseções. Projeto da CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026. (André Nazareth/CASACOR)

The installation arises from the displacement of objects and materials from their original contexts. When reorganized, they no longer fulfill their usual functions and begin to build new formal and narrative relationships. Fissures, folds, cracks and pleats become elements of a language that explores the tension between building and undoing.

"Marcelo makes boldness his visual grammar. He imposes his own rituals by combining seemingly disparate elements, articulated through strength, tension and balance, creating a new logic of construction, complex and ambiguous," states the curator.

Grão Arquitetura - Fio Condutor. Projeto da CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026. (André Nazareth/CASACOR)

On the 3rd floor, art gains a sensory dimension in Guiding Thread, an immersive experience created by Grão Arquitetura in partnership with Galeria Hathi. The floor's circulation is transformed into a playful forest, built from threads, branches, shadows and textures, in an experience that brings together popular art, craftsmanship and matter.

Grão Arquitetura - Fio Condutor. Projeto da CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026. (André Nazareth/CASACOR)

Natural fiber fabrics and handcrafted textures developed by designer Renato Imbroisi shape trees and branches, while rugs from Galeria Hathi overlay the floor and guide visitors along different paths. At the ends, suspended structures shelter small houses populated by shadows of branches, plants and animals.

The lighting is a fundamental part of the experience. Whiter tones reference the Mind, while yellowish light evokes the Heart, creating distinct atmospheres throughout the journey.

ETEL e Lissa Carmona - Galeria Modernista Expo Fragmentos do Avesso. Projeto da CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026. (André Nazareth/CASACOR)

On the 2nd floor, ETEL and Arquivo Contemporâneo present, in a joint effort, the exhibition Modernist Gallery Expo FRAGMENTS OF THE REVERSE, curated by Lissa Carmona, from ETEL. The show brings together design, architecture, art and memory through the trajectories of Percival Lafer and Paulo Werneck, gathering pieces, studies, objects and historical records that reveal not only the finished works, but also the processes and research behind them.

The concept of "reverse" gives name to this investigation into what usually remains hidden: the initial sketch, the raw material, the studies, the joinery and the choices that precede the finished piece.

ETEL e Lissa Carmona - Galeria Modernista Expo Fragmentos do Avesso. Projeto da CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026. (André Nazareth/CASACOR)

The trajectory of Paulo Werneck, recognized for his mosaics and panels integrated into modernist architecture, appears in dialogue with the production of Percival Lafer, a designer who remains active at 90 years old and whose work is marked by constructive research and innovation in Brazilian furniture.

Among the works presented are reissues and pieces such as the Oscar Screen, the Boa Vista and Bologna lamps and the Gaspar, Joaquim, Cabral, Paulico and Otto tables, as well as works from the universe of Percival Lafer, such as the PL-01, PL-81 and PL-97 armchairs, the PLE-90 Sideboard and the Woodstick Coffee Table.

Together, the exhibitions reinforce one of the characteristics of this commemorative edition: the connection between architecture, design, art and culture as complementary ways of understanding and transforming the city. The very layout of the show stems from this integration, distributing residential, commercial, cultural and social projects throughout the building's floors.

Service – CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2026

Where: Edifício Aliança da Bahia, Rua Araújo Porto Alegre, 36, Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ

When: from September 15 to November 8, 2026

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 12pm to 10pm

Box office hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 12pm to 8pm

Holidays: October 12 and November 2

Digital box office: https://appcasacor.com.br/events/rio-de-janeiro-2026

Ticket prices: R$ 120.00 (full) and R$ 60.00 (half-price).

Half-price:

• Seniors aged 60 and over.

• Students, presenting valid photo ID or proof of payment.

• PWD (person with disability) and their companion (in accordance with Law No. 12,933/13).

• Public or private school teachers, presenting valid photo ID.

Pre-sale promotion not valid for half-price. Proof of half-price eligibility will be required at the entrance.

Important: Free admission for children up to 10 years old, upon proof.

A single CPF can purchase a maximum of 10 tickets.

Group sales: For purchases above 10 tickets or by CNPJ, send an email to daniele@tresplus.com

Parking: There is no on-site parking.

More Information: www.casacor.com.br