São Paulo: See + Do

Seven ways to get your culture fix.

In the Vila Madalena district, Beco do Batman (Rua Gonçalo Afonso) is a long, graffiti-lined alley that continually evolves as street artists add new works. For a more traditional experience, swing by Museu de Arte de São Paulo (1578 Avda. Paulista, Bela Vista); the 1968 Modernist building houses one of the most comprehensive Western art collections (ranging from Botticelli to Diego Rivera) in the Southern Hemisphere. São Paulo is a hotbed for contemporary art galleries: there’s newcomer Raquel Arnaud (125 Rua Fidalga), which represents more than 20 Brazilian artists, including sculptor Frida Baranek; Galeria Vermelho (350 Rua Minas Gerais), showcasing experimental works by international talent such as provocative Danish art collective Superflex; and Galeria Fortes Vilaca (1500 Rua Fradique Coutinho), one of the city’s largest gallery spaces. Leave time to see Oscar Niemeyer’s Auditório Ibirapuera and the impressive collection of Brazilian paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from the 1960’s at Museu de Arte Contemporânea (160 Rua da Praça do Relógio).