On July 8, 1978, a massive fire broke out at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio de Janeiro. The blaze destroyed approximately 90 percent of the museum’s collection, including works by prominent Brazilian modernist artists. Many of the lost artworks were unique and undocumented, making the cultural loss irreversible. The incident shocked the Brazilian public and artistic community. It exposed serious deficiencies in fire safety and preservation policies at cultural institutions. In response, authorities initiated reforms aimed at protecting national heritage. The fire remains one of the greatest cultural tragedies in Brazil’s history.
