Brasília receives, for the first time, part of the collection of Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, one of the most important names in Brazilian lexicography. The exhibition “Words that Fly: Aurélio Buarque de Holanda Collection” will be inaugurated this Saturday (6) at Sesi Lab, marking the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Aurélio Portuguese Language Dictionary, a work that has become a national reference since its launch in 1975.
Originally produced by Casa Firjan, linked to the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the exhibition will run until March 30, 2026. The opening, on Saturday, has free entry for those who registered in advance. From Sunday (7), tickets cost R$20 (full) and R$10 (half).
This is the exhibition’s first trip outside of Rio de Janeiro, where Casa Firjan has kept the collection under its custody since 2018.
For Sesi’s Culture Superintendent, Claudia Ramalho, bringing the material to the federal capital is a unique opportunity:
“We celebrate not just a book, but a cultural work that shaped the way Brazil sees its language. We want visitors to leave with the feeling that words fly and transport knowledge, memories and futures”, he states.
“Words that Fly: Aurélio Buarque de Holanda Collection: exhibition at SESI Lab celebrates 50 years of the Aurélio Dictionary Photo: CNI/Disclosure
New space
The exhibition inaugurates the new multipurpose space at Sesi Lab, where the museum store was located, which underwent adaptation to accommodate medium and large exhibitions. There, the public will be able to explore different dimensions of Aurélio’s work: manuscripts, notes, correspondence, intellectual references and the editorial process that led to the creation of one of the most popular dictionaries in the country.
Cristiane Alves, general manager of Business Development and Innovation at Firjan, highlights the contemporary nature of the exhibition:
“More than a tribute, the exhibition is an invitation to immerse yourself in Aurélio’s intellectual universe. His trajectory spanned arts, journalism, literary criticism, education and lexicography. The dictionary is, by nature, a work that is renewed, follows the spirit of its time and dialogues with the future”, he states.
The exhibition is divided into four sections:
- Timeline: presents the milestones in the lexicographer’s life and the evolution of his work, including the editorial relevance of the dictionary’s large print runs.
- The Dictionary: reveals the process of building Aurélio, its methodologies and editions over five decades.
- Collection: brings together personal notes, dedications, documents and copies that express the author’s intellectual diversity.
- Living Language: discusses the constant transformation of the Portuguese language and the role of popular expressions.
An exclusive documentary complements the experience, with testimonies from names linked to the history of the work, such as the translator Paulo Geiger, editor of the dictionary, and Nora Rónai, in addition to highlighting the work of Marina Baird Ferreira, wife of Aurélio, responsible for the logistics of publishing the first edition, in 1975.
Service
Exhibition “Words that Fly – Aurélio Buarque de Holanda Collection”
Opening: December 6, 2025 (free entry)
Visiting period: until March 30, 2026
Tickets: R$20 (full) and R$10 (half)
Location: Sesi Lab, Brasília
