# The curator rewriting how we see art history

> Adriano Pedrosa challenges traditional hierarchies by placing outsider art alongside academic work at Brazil's leading museum.
- Title: The curator rewriting how we see art history · TIME | Shortify
- Summary: Adriano Pedrosa challenges traditional hierarchies by placing outsider art alongside academic work at Brazil's leading museum. Museums can challenge fixed…
- Keywords: adriano pedrosa, masp, museu de arte de são paulo, brazil, outsider art, latin america, la chola poblete, museum expansion, art curation, queer artists, curator, rewriting
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/collection/time100-art/2026/adriano-pedrosa
- Published: 2026-09-17T12:01:31.412+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: adriano pedrosa, masp, museu de arte de são paulo, brazil, outsider art, latin america, la chola poblete, museum expansion, art curation, queer artists
## Rewriting the curator's playbook
Adriano Pedrosa puts outsider art on equal footing with work by academically trained artists. He ditches chronological displays for thematic surveys.
## Themes over timelines
Instead of organizing art by date, Pedrosa curates exhibitions around broad themes like childhood or sexuality.
## A $43 million expansion
After six years of planning, MASP opened a new tower in 2025 that grew its exhibition space by 66%.
## Unpacking Latin America
This year's curatorial program explores how the idea of Latin America was created and contested over time.
## Defending art from attacks
Pedrosa defended a show by queer artist La Chola Poblete from right-wing criticism.
## No single correct view
As political factions push fixed histories, Pedrosa's exhibits argue there's no one right way to view art.
## Key takeaway

Museums can challenge fixed narratives by treating all art as equally valid, regardless of the artist's training or background.