Institute of Historical Heritage opened process to investigate commercialization of 20 pieces designed by architect Lina Bo Bardi, valued at $ 75,000 each
The exhibition easels designed by Lina Bo Bardi, whose commercialization was contested by IPHAN (Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage), yielded $ 1.5 million to the MASP (São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand Art Museum). The 20 historical pieces were sold for $ 75,000 each.
IPHAN opened administrative proceedings on Thursday (05.jun.2025) to investigate the sale of easels, which had not been formally communicated to the Institute – which is mandatory, according to Articles 12 and 13 of
The process was instituted “To find out what situation is currently the set of listed easels”according to Iphan. In the same statement, the institute said that “Iphan was not informed about selling original Lina Bo Bardi easels nor authorized the departure of any of them from the country.”
The easels were created by architect Lina Bo Bardi, who designed the MASP from 1968 to 1996 to exhibit works in the museum gallery. The pieces are part of the federally listed museographic set since 2008, considered an important part of the Brazilian cultural heritage. MASP reported that from the original set, 91 structures remained in different conservation states,“Taken from the exhibition space for no longer to meet the contemporary technical and museum criteria required for the preservation and presentation of works of art”. A new generation of easels, suitable for new standards, was developed in 2015.
The MASP began the sale of easels in 2022 during the pandemic as a way to obtain financial resources. Five units are still available for sale. According to the plastic column, from Folha de S. Pauloa foreign collector bought one of the easels for about $ 60,000 at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair in the United States.
To the Poder360the museum said the commercialization was necessary “To continue the cultural program” Given the budget limitations of that period. Also stated that the tipping “He emphasizes the value of the pieces as an expression of an innovative expository concept, not as goods listed individually and autonomously.” The MASP said that this understanding was ratified by the internal legal team and external lawyers specializing in cultural heritage.
IPHAN stated that listed assets can only leave the country according to article 14 of the same decree and Ordinance 262/1992, a requirement apparently not fulfilled in international sale.
