By Giuliano de Miranda
Designed by the Espírito Santo-born architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, the Cais das Artes (Arts Wharf) began construction in 2010, with an initial completion forecast of eighteen months. The interruption of the works and the impasses that followed over the years transformed the project into a symbol of the delayed promises of Espírito Santo's cultural life. The complex began to be delivered in 2026, with the opening of the public square and the museum, while the theater is in its final stages of implementation. Located in Enseada do Suá, on the shores of Vitória Bay, the complex brings together exhibition areas, social spaces, and a theater for 1.300 spectators, constituting the architect's only work in his hometown.
The choice of the Amazonia exhibition to inaugurate the museum's program was no accident. The result of seven years of expeditions undertaken by Sebastião Salgado (1944-2025) through the Amazon rainforest, the exhibition brings together approximately 200 black and white photographs depicting rivers, mountains, natural formations, and the daily lives of different indigenous peoples, composing a visual testimony to the environmental and human diversity of the region. The curatorship and exhibition design are by Lélia Wanick Salgado, architect, designer, and Sebastião Salgado's companion for six decades, responsible for editing his books and designing the photographer's main international exhibitions. The experience is complemented by a soundtrack created by Jean-Michel Jarre, constructed from sounds of the forest and sound recordings of indigenous communities. Before arriving in Espírito Santo, the exhibition traveled to cities such as Paris, London, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, being seen by more than 1,5 million people around the world.
Just over a month after the start of activities, the Secretary of State for Culture, Fabrício Noronha, observes that "the city has embraced this space and is using it in its daily routine."
Among occasional visitors, students, and families who have incorporated the site into their leisure and social activities, the Cais das Artes is beginning to fulfill its cultural role. "This space has enormous potential in the education of our young people and our children," says Noronha.
The first months of operation have been accompanied by a growing demand from cultural producers interested in holding activities on its premises. The impact achieved by the events held since the opening has broadened the presence of the Espírito Santo cultural scene in the press and in cultural networks. According to Fabrício Noronha, “The events that take place here gain another type of local and national visibility. Cais is at the service of this connection.” He attributes this transformation to a combination of factors involving the strengthening of funding mechanisms, the resumption of federal investments, the expansion of Espírito Santo's participation in the Rouanet Law, and the creation of the Espírito Santo Cultural Incentive Law, responsible for bringing the private sector closer to actions aimed at the sector.
This is a transformation that manifests itself in the way inhabitants relate to the territory in which they live. According to the secretary, there is an intergenerational dimension to this experience. The presence of a large museum and a cultural center of national scale alters not only the habits of one generation, but also projects effects on those to come.
Regarding the cultural effervescence in the state, the manager points to the importance of the continuity of public policies and emphasizes that the progress achieved requires institutional stability and a long-term vision. "It's easier to destroy than to build," he reflects. For him, these achievements depend not only on government action, but also on the capacity for mobilization of society, businesses, and cultural institutions around the preservation of the mechanisms that support this process.
While Amazônia remains on display until July 05th, Cais das Artes continues to build its own narrative. The complex, conceived by Paulo Mendes da Rocha, inaugurates a new stage in the cultural life of Espírito Santo. Between the monumentality of the architecture, the landscape of Vitória Bay, and the growing presence of the public, the space inscribes itself in the urban memory and cultural imagination of Espírito Santo.
