AMEC was born from the initiative to transform a vast, long-forgotten collection into a museum-like space open to the public.

The Federal University of Paraná is the oldest university in Brazil. Having endured wars and dictatorships, its main building holds over 100 years of history—much of which was hidden away in the university's basements. Paintings, documents, books, and artifacts were part of this vast historical collection, left forgotten in the dark.

Professor Dr. Thiago Hansen was the visionary behind the project, aiming to give new meaning to these materials and, through them, tell the story of Curitiba from a fresh perspective. The extensive collection includes documents covering significant topics such as the military dictatorship, the first women and Black students at UFPR, and renowned artists and writers who started their journeys at the university, including Paulo Leminski.