Paper short abstract:

How is the inter-relation between museum, works of art, local community and artists in the construction of a place identity? It can be done by using an approach on this thematic, using the study of the Inhotim, a contemporary art museum, and some of its works.

Paper long abstract:

By looking at Inhotim museum, located in Brumadinho, a Brazilian town, it exhibits works related with the local community and the museum space as one of its proposals. It has some art works that can't be dislocated and whose sense is directly connected to the local of its origin. Is through this works that certain social aspects, the memory and the local history are represented. In this way, by one hand the surroundings enters into the museum and, in the other hand, the museum enters in the community, not only as being a strange but also by avoiding an imposing attitude. So, there is an intersection between strangeness and familiarity and the art plays the role of mediator.

Thinking the contemporary art also reports the creative process. Many times it's not in evidence in the final work. Overall, since the sixties with movements like the Land-Art and Site-specifics the artists leave the atelier and the museum, modifying their methods of appropriation and representation. They use the space as a support, taking into consideration the population and local social-cultural aspects. The art work establishes a relation of dependence with the place where it's made. In this sense, to draw a parallel between the contemporary art museums adaptation and the rising number of works that approach art and the public without any mediation is a case of interest of study.