The Great Brazilian Road Trip searches for the female form and discovers art down a dirt road.
Usina de Arte
At the beginning of this adventure, a friend forwarded me a news article about an art exhibit in Northeastern Brazil causing a stir. A giant vulva had been sculpted into the side of a hill. Folks were both excited and upset.
I typed it into Google and found it was only 1.5 hours away from our current location.
I decided I absolutely MUST meet the DIVA.
Usina de Arte is an open air art museum in the middle of the Pernambuco countryside, surrounded by sugar cane and cattle farms. In Portuguese, "usina" signifies a sugar cane mill or factory which means the name literally translates to "Art Mill/ Factory."
The scale of the place is massive, as is the sheer number of larger-than-life art installations. As far as names go, "Art Factory" seems fitting.
As it turns out, "usina" is actually borrowed from an old sugar cane mill/ factory that sits adjacent to Usina de Arte.
While the DIVA inspired our visit, many of the other exhibits were incredible as well. If we were slightly better photographers, or if we had remembered to bring our camera, I'm certain we could have become Instagram Sensations.
On our way to see the DIVA, we spent the most time at Casa Grande (Big House). The clever use of light, reflection, and colorful flowers blew me away. Our pictures just don't do it justice.
Given the scale of Usine de Arte, our pilgrimage to the DIVA took longer than expected. This was made harder by a complete absence of directional signs and, admittedly, it took us a few wrong turns to figure out how to reach the giant vulva. By the time we got close enough to see detail, we were sweating profusely in the midday sun.
... Looking back, it seems there may have been some symbolism to our journey....
Imagine our disappointment when we discovered the DIVA is kept behind caution tape.
Given the controversy surrounding her presence, it shouldn't be surprising that visitors aren't allowed to get too close. For now, we shall have to admire her from afar.
Getting There
If you're staying in the northern portion of the Coral Coast - Porto de Galinhas to Antunes/ Maragogi - Usine de Arte should only be 1 - 1.5 hours out of your way.
According to both Waze and Google Maps, Usina de Arte can only be accessed from the BR - 101 Highway which runs north-south.
You will exit the BR-101 Highway at the town of Xexeu.
Once in Xexeu, follow Waze/ Google Maps down a country road until you feel you are truly lost. Then the Old Usina (sugar cane mill) will suddenly appear and you'll know you're in the right place.
There is no signage for Usine de Arte until you are standing at the front gates.
On this version of Google Maps (above), it appears you can access Usina de Arte from AL-201 via the town of Campestre. When we tried plugging this route into our navigation system, it still routed us back through Xexeu and the BR-101. If you're brave enough to try yourself, you may get lucky and discover a short cut.
Overall
If you're on a road trip in northeastern Brazil, this detour is a worthwhile distraction from the endless miles of scenic beaches and historic centers.
Admission is free although perhaps the real cost of entry is finding the place.