Silo – Art and Rural Latitude

What Silo – Art and Rural Latitude does

Silo – Art and Rural Latitude (legal name Silo – Arte e Latitude Rural) is a Brazilian Civil Society Organisation of Public Interest (OSCIP) founded in 2017 and led by director Cinthia Mendonça, with a team of 6 employees. The organization is headquartered in a 500m² facility inside the Serrinha do Alambari Environmental Protection Area in Resende, Rio de Janeiro, at the crossroads of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo states. Its mission is to foster dialogue between rural and urban areas through art, science, and technology, using proprietary methodologies adapted from MediaLab Prado (Madrid) for Latin American rural and peripheral contexts.

Silo operates an integrated portfolio of programs that combine popular and scientific knowledge: CaipiratechLAB (agroecological technology co-design with family farmers and rural youth), EncontrADA (feminist gatherings for women, trans, and non-binary people), Laboratórios de Experimentação e Inovação including Interactivos, Emergency Lab, and Governance Lab (multidisciplinary collaborative prototyping), Resiliência: Residência Artística (territorial artistic residency in the Atlantic Forest), Silo Escola (transdisciplinary popular education), LabMARÉ (urban laboratory in partnership with Redes da Maré), and the Ocupa Silo community festival. Programs are delivered free of charge to participants via public open calls, with the Resilience residency covering round-trip travel, lodging, shared studios, meals, and a R$2,000 stipend.

As a non-profit, Silo generates no commercial revenue. Its funding mix consists of institutional grants from foundations (Ford Foundation, Instituto Serrapilheira, Pro Helvetia, Instituto Ibirapitanga, Porticus, Community Arts Lab, Bem Te Vi Diversidade), public cultural policy support (Brazilian Ministry of Culture, SECEC, PNAB, Rede Cultura Viva), individual donations via Benfeitoria crowdfunding and PayPal, and strategic partnerships with organizations including Instituto Procomum, Redes da Maré, PPGAC/UFRJ, Swissnex Brazil, Wingu, and UN-Habitat. The single quantified crowdfunding inflow was R$78,565 (Benfeitoria) plus R$10,000 (institutional account) in 2021 for Silo Escola renovation. The organization holds the Selo Cultura Viva certification and is part of the Ibero-American Citizen Laboratories Network spanning Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Spain, Colombia, and Mexico.

Name

Silo – Art and Rural Latitude

Legal name

Silo – Arte e Latitude Rural

Website

https://silo.org.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Silo – Art and Rural Latitude is a Brazilian non-profit civil society organization (OSCIP) founded in 2017 that runs free art, science, and technology programs — including rural residencies, agroecology labs, feminist encounters, and urban favela labs — serving rural Serrinha do Alambari residents, Maré community members, women/LGBTQ+ participants, and international artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Community Development

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Educational Support Services (611710), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Civil society organization
• Artistic residency programs
• Community cultural development
• Agroecological technology co-design
• Feminist knowledge exchange

Headquarters

HQ city

Resende

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional donations and grants: Silo is a civil society organization supported by donations and institutional funding from foundations and individual donors. It operates as a nonprofit and does not generate revenue through product or service sales.
2. Individual donations (crowdfunding): Silo runs crowdfunding campaigns for specific projects, such as the Silo Escola renovation, and accepts individual donations via PayPal and bank transfer.
3. Government cultural program support: Silo participates in national cultural programs including Política Nacional Aldir Blanc (PNAB) and Rede Cultura Viva, receiving institutional support through these public cultural policies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Silo is a Brazilian nonprofit civil society organization of public interest (OSCIP) that delivers free participatory programs at the intersection of art, science, and technology in rural and peripheral contexts. Its core offerings include immersive artistic residencies in the Atlantic Forest (Resiliência), multidisciplinary co-design laboratories (Interactivos, Governance Lab, Emergency Lab), agroecological technology co-design with family farmers (CaipiratechLAB), feminist intergenerational encounters (EncontrADA), popular education training (Silo Escola), and a community cultural festival (Ocupa Silo), all funded by grants and donations.

Product overview

Silo – Arte e Latitude Rural is a civil society organization offering an integrated portfolio of programs focused on promoting dialogue between rural and urban areas through art, science, and technology. The core offerings include CaipiratechLAB for agro-food technology co-design, EncontrADA for feminist knowledge exchange, Laboratórios de Experimentação e Inovação for collaborative prototyping, Resiliência: Residência Artística for immersive artistic residencies, Silo Escola for transdisciplinary education, Ocupa Silo for community cultural events, and specialized labs such as the Governance Lab and Emergency Lab. These programs work synergistically, combining popular and scientific knowledge to foster sociocultural development in rural areas and urban peripheries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Resiliência: Residência Artística (Resilience: Artistic Residency) Immersive artistic research and experimentation residency in an Atlantic Forest reserve for artists and curators with participation of scientists and rural communities. The residency promotes territorial experiences that differ from urban life for artistic creation focused on the contemporary rural and environmental universe. Selected artists and curators receive round-trip tickets, lodging, shared studios, meals, and a stipend of R$2,000 per project.
• CaipiratechLAB Program that collaborates with strengthening short agro-food chains and cultural expression through mapping, courses, and technology co-design with farmers. Creates and expands possibilities for young peasants to live and work in rural areas as agents of change.
• EncontrADA Feminist encounters focused on knowledge exchange between different generations of feminists and their sociocultural, racial, economic, ethical, and aesthetic characteristics. Open to women, trans, and non-binary people, offering courses, training, and project advisory.
• Laboratórios de Experimentação e Inovação (Experimentation and Innovation Laboratories) Multidisciplinary collaborative prototyping spaces for project development with collaborators and mentors from different knowledge areas. Labs offer training and support to participants and territories through various resources. The portfolio includes Interactivos (since 2016), Emergency Lab (since 2020), and Governance Lab (since 2022).
• Laboratório de Governança (Governance Lab) A laboratory focused on developing governance ideas and propositions capable of strengthening institutions and collectives to navigate crises and renew the perseverance of their actions and impacts. Selected 7 proposals from across Latin America in 2022 and produced a full publication with documentation.
• Laboratório de Emergência (Emergency Lab) An online collaborative laboratory for developing projects addressing COVID-19 and other emergency situations, working with collaborators and mentors in a virtual solidarity environment across multiple editions since 2020.

Quantifiable outcome

• Silo Escola crowdfunding raised R$78,565 via Benfeitoria and an additional R$10,000 in direct institutional donations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PPGAC/UFRJ (Graduate Program in Performing Arts, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026PPGAC/UFRJ partnered with Silo for the laboratory 'The Strength of Place and the Places of Strength,' integrating Silo into a postdoctoral research project under Prof. Eleonora Fabião's supervision.
• Associação dos Moradores da Serrinha do Alambari (AMOROSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025AMOROSA is Silo's fundamental community partner in Serrinha do Alambari, co-producing the film club and local community events such as Ocupa Silo.
• Escola Municipal Moacir Coelho da SilveiracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The municipal school in Serrinha do Alambari is a key partner for the community film club initiative, providing its courtyard as the screening venue.
• Redes da MarécoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Redes da Maré is the core urban partner for the LabMARÉ series — a Laboratory of Architecture, Culture and Climate now in its 3rd edition, working on urban proposals for the Maré favela complex in Rio de Janeiro.
• Swissnex BrazilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Swissnex Brazil co-supported the 2021 Resilience: Artist in Residence residency alongside Instituto Serrapilheira and Pro Helvetia América do Sul.
• WinguminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Wingu (present in Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina) organized the FITS Digital Innovation and Technology Festival 2022, where Silo participated to share experiences in participatory innovation with rural communities.
• UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Silo participated in the UN-Habitat Urban Circuit 2022, presenting on citizen innovation laboratories and SDG localization as part of the global UN agenda.
• Instituto ProcomumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Instituto Procomum is a key strategic partner co-producing the Emergency Lab 2nd edition alongside Silo. It is also listed among Silo's thanks/acknowledgements for its institutional support.
• Crescente FértilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Crescente Fértil was a partner for the Resilience: Artist in Residence 2018 residency, supporting the program alongside Silo and Ford Foundation.
• Lilo.zoneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Lilo.zone was a partner for the Resilience: Artist in Residence 2018 residency.
• Rede Cultura VivacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Silo holds the Selo Cultura Viva and is part of the national Rede Cultura Viva network, connecting it to Brazil's network of community cultural points and cultural policies.
• Bem Te Vi DiversidademinorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Listed as a resource partner supporting Silo's programs and initiatives.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Instituto Procomum: Santos-based civic innovation laboratory that co-produced the Emergency Lab with Silo and shares the participatory prototyping methodology for the common good. Operates a similar civil-society-lab structure with cross-program training, mentorships, and open calls.
• Casa do Povo: Historic cultural and education space in São Paulo where Silo launches publications and catalogues. Operates as a community-rooted cultural institution offering free programs, making it a structural peer for Silo's community-led arts/education model.
• MediaLab Prado: Madrid-based citizen laboratory at the origin of the methodology Silo adapted for Latin America. Silo's founder has spent 14 years porting MediaLab Prado's collaborative laboratory model to rural Brazilian contexts, making it the most direct methodological peer.
• Redes da Maré: Rio de Janeiro favela-based civil society network that co-produces LabMARE with Silo. Operates at the intersection of urban peripheries, participatory governance and cultural production, making it the closest peer for Silo's urban-periphery work.

Others

• Outras Palavras: Brazilian independent journalism and essay platform covering culture, politics, and social movements. While not a direct competitor, it shares Silo's mission of amplifying peripheral and rural Brazilian voices, making it thematically comparable.

Emerging players

• FIAR – Festival Internacional de Arte y Ruralidad: Bogotá-based international festival of art and rurality where Silo's director served on the inaugural curatorial team. Directly comparable as a Latin American platform at the intersection of contemporary art and rural territories, though operating as a festival rather than a residency program.

Broad incumbents

• Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil: Brazil's largest corporate-sponsored cultural center chain, with venues in multiple state capitals. Comparable as a high-traffic cultural institution offering free programs, but differs sharply in funding model (corporate sponsorship vs. international philanthropy) and artistic positioning.
• Centro Cultural São Paulo: Major publicly-funded cultural center in São Paulo offering residencies, labs and education. Comparable as a free, publicly-anchored cultural/educational infrastructure player, but operating at metropolitan scale rather than rural/peripheral niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/silo.arte.e.latitude.rural
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/silo-arte-e-latitude-rural

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Silo – Art and Rural Latitude