An aggressive patron of the arts with a taste for the picturesque, in 2006 the Brazilian mining magnate created the Instituto de Arte Contemporânea e Jardim Botânico, an art complex otherwise known as the Inhotim Cultural Institute. Once considered an extravagant whim in the small town of Brumadinho, the museum now houses a 600-piece contemporary-art collection featuring renowned artists such as Hélio Oiticica, Cildo Meireles, Chris Burden, and Janet Cardiff. On track to double its attendance since opening, the Institute had 157,000 visitors in just the first half of this year; an inn is under construction to accommodate out-of-town visitors.
