Events
Events
36th Bienal de São Paulo – Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice
The 36th Bienal de São Paulo, titled Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice, will be led by chief curator Prof. Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung together with his conceptual team of co-curators Alya Sebti, Anna Roberta Goetz and Thiago de Paula Souza, as well as co-curator at large Keyna Eleison and strategy and communication advisor Henriette Gallus. The exhibition takes its cue from Afrobrazilian poet Conceição Evaristo’s enigmatic poem Da calma e do silêncio [Of calm and silence].
(RE)INVENTION – Biennale Archittetura 2025
The Fundação Bienal de São Paulo announces the project that will take over the Brazilian Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil.
36th Bienal – Invocation #4 – Tokyo – Bukimi no Tani (不気味の谷): The Uncanny Valley – The Affectivity of the Humanoid
Titled Bukimi no Tani (不気味の谷): The Uncanny Valley – The Affectivity of the Humanoid, the program takes place between April 12 and 14, 2025 and explores the complex relationship between humans and machines through sound, performance, and visual practices. The program is co-organized by the Bienal’s conceptual team with co-conveners Andrew Maerkle and Kanako Sugiyama, and Jordan A.Y. Smith as the advisor for the poetry program. The activities will take place at three different locations: The 5th Floor; Sogetsu Kaikan; and 21 KOMCEE West Lecture Hall, The University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus.
36th Bienal – Invocation #3 – Zanzibar – Mawali–Taqsim: Improvisation as a Space and Technology of Humanity
The 36th Bienal de São Paulo continues its global journey with its third Invocation, titled Mawali–Taqsim: Improvisation as a Space and Technology of Humanity, which will take place in Zanzibar from February 11th to 13th, 2025. The Invocation will be hosted by Maru Maru Hotel and Golden Tulip Stonetown Boutique, with the Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA) as a partner institution.
36th Bienal – Invocation #2 – Les Abymes, Guadeloupe – Bigidi mè pa tonbé!
Continuing the series of Invocations, the project arrives in Guadeloupe, a territory in Central America. This edition, titled “Bigidi mè pa tonbé!” [Totter, but never fall!], will be held from December 5 to 7 at La FABRI’K, a space led by choreographer, anthropologist, and educator Dr. Léna Blou, with dance as its central theme.
Les Abymes, Guadeloupe
35th Bienal Traveling Exhibition – Porto Alegre
From November 30, 2024 to March 9, 2025, Porto Alegre will host the last stop on the traveling exhibitions program of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible, an exhibition co-organized by the Fundação Iberê and the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo.
Porto Alegre, Brazil
Mediated visit at the 35th Bienal – Porto Alegre
On November 30, Saturday, the opening day of the traveling exhibition, the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo’s educational team will give a guided tour at 3:30 pm. The activity offers the public the opportunity to get to know the works and the curatorial concepts of the choreographies of the impossible based on the main themes proposed in the context of the participants selected for the traveling exhibition.
Porto Alegre, Brazil
36th Bienal – Invocation #1 – Marrakech, Morocco – Souffles: On Deep Listening and Active Reception
The first Invocation of the 36th Bienal de São Paulo – Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice will take place in Marrakech, Morocco, on November 14 and 15.
Marrakech, Morocco
Marrakech, Morocco
35th Bienal Traveling Exhibition – Luanda, Angola
The 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible moves towards a new historic milestone by crossing the Atlantic and arriving, for the first time, on the African continent. Organized by the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo and co-organized by the Instituto Guimarães Rosa (IGR), an institution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) responsible for Brazilian cultural diplomacy, the Bienal de São Paulo is traveling to Luanda, Angola, from September 20 to December 8. Made possible by Brasafrica and Banco BIR, the exhibition symbolizes an important moment in the history of the Bienal, which seeks to expand its reach and promote cultural dialogue between Brazil and Angola.
Luanda, Angola
Conversation between the education team and the curators of the 35th Bienal 
On September 18, at 2 pm, the Bienal’s education team will meet with the curators of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo to discuss the construction of the choreographies of the impossible project and its implications for the educational program, addressing conceptual, political, methodological and epistemological issues, as well as connecting the works exhibited in Luanda with local educational practices.
Meeting with the educational publication of the 35th Bienal
On September 21, at 9 am, there will be a meeting about the educational publication of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo. The education team will discuss the three movements (as their volumes are called), which are informed by the thoughts of participants in the 35th Bienal such as poet, playwright and teacher Leda Maria Martins, artist Rosana Paulino, curator and researcher Sandra Benites and Regina Aparecida Pereira and Cíntia Aparecida Delgado, leaders of the Quilombo Cafundó.
35th Bienal Traveling Exhibition – Fortaleza
For the third time, the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo is taking its traveling exhibitions program to Fortaleza, in partnership with the Government of Ceará, through the Secretariat of Culture and the Centro Dragão do Mar de Arte e Cultura, a facility managed by the Instituto Dragão do Mar (IDM). From September 10 to November 10, the Museu de Arte Contemporânea do Ceará (MAC-CE), located in the Centro Dragão do Mar de Arte e Cultura, will host a selection of fourteen participants in the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible, curated by Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes and Manuel Borja-Villel. The show is signed by J.Macêdo.
Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – Vitória
Through a partnership between the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo and the State Government of Espírito Santo, together with the Secretary of State for Culture and Secretary of Government, the city of Vitória (ES) will host a special selection of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible at two different venues: the Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo Dionísio Del Santo (MAES) and the Espaço Cultural Palácio Anchieta. During the opening, on August 28, the Espaço Cultural Palácio Anchieta will also host a performance by Vale Música, an authorial programs axis by Instituto Cultural Vale.
The tongue always bends before the unquestionable or the cursed – book-performance, Chapter VI
Rubiane Maia will be performing A língua sempre se dobra diante do inquestionável ou maldito, Livro-Performance, capítulo VI [The tongue always bends before the unquestionable or the cursed – Book-Performance, chapter VI] (2018–2024) on August 30, at 5pm, at MAES, with free admission.
Meetings with the 35th Bienal’s educational publication: Espaço Cultural Palácio Anchieta
On August 28 and 29, the Bienal’s education team will be proposing conversations and exchanges about and with the three movements of the educational publication. The educational publication on the choreographies of the impossible was divided into three different movements – or volumes – with contents aimed at mediation and promotion actions. The third movement, prepared especially for the traveling exhibitions program, was produced based on the practices carried out during the exhibition at the Pavilion and is distributed free of charge to the participants in the actions.
Meetings with the 35th Bienal’s educational publication: Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo Dionísio Del Santo (MAES)
On August 28 and 29, the Bienal’s education team will be proposing conversations and exchanges about and with the three movements of the educational publication. The educational publication on the choreographies of the impossible was divided into three different movements – or volumes – with contents aimed at mediation and promotion actions. The third movement, prepared especially for the traveling exhibitions program, was produced based on the practices carried out during the exhibition at the Pavilion and is distributed free of charge to the participants in the actions.
Mediated visits with the Bienal’s education team: Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo Dionísio Del Santo (MAES)
On August 30, during the opening of the exhibition, the Bienal’s education team will conduct two-hour in-person guided tours. This visit invites the public on a tour of the traveling exhibition at MAES and the Palácio Anchieta Cultural Space. On August 30, there will also be guided tours in both spaces, at 10am at MAES and at 3pm at the Palácio Anchieta Cultural Space. All activities are free of charge.
Mediated visits with the Bienal’s education team: Espaço Cultural Palácio Anchieta
On August 30, during the opening of the exhibition, the Bienal’s education team will conduct two-hour in-person guided tours. This visit invites the public on a tour of the traveling exhibition at MAES and the Palácio Anchieta Cultural Space. On August 30, there will also be guided tours in both spaces, at 10am at MAES and at 3pm at the Palácio Anchieta Cultural Space. All activities are free of charge.
Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – La Paz, Bolívia
For the first time, the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo’s traveling exhibitions program is coming to the city of La Paz, Bolivia, with a selection of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible. Through a partnership with the Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia and the Fundación Cultural del Banco Central de Bolivia, with the support of the Instituto Guimarães Rosa – MRE, the Museo Nacional de Arte (MNA) will host, from August 16 to October 20, a selection of nine participants who took part in the last edition of the exhibition – held from September 6 to December 10, 2023 – and now are part of the traveling exhibition that has already visited ten cities in Brazil and around the world.
Contemporary Art Educational Practices: The Experience of the Bienal de São Paulo
On Wednesday 14, the education team will present projects developed in the context of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible such as educational publications, mediated visits, courses and other actions to promote the Bienal, its history and the historic building it occupies. The purpose of the conversation is to share experiences of education in contemporary art, considering the diverse audiences and contexts in which they take place, and to create a dialogue with education professionals working in La Paz.
Meeting with the Educational Publication of the 35th Bienal
During the opening, Bienal’s education team will conduct in-person guided tours, lasting two hours. This tour invites the public to explore the traveling exhibition.
Visit with the Bienal Education Team
The Bienal’s education team proposes conversations about and with the three movements of the educational publication of the 35th Bienal. The educational publication of the choreographies of the impossible is divided into three different movements – or volumes – with content focused on mediation and promotion actions. The third movement, specially prepared for the traveling exhibitions program, was produced based on practices carried out throughout the exhibition at the Pavilion and is distributed free of charge to the participants. The meeting is influenced by the thoughts of poet, playwright, and Professor Leda Maria Martins, artist Rosana Paulino, curator and researcher Sandra Benites, Regina Aparecida Pereira and Cíntia Aparecida Delgado, leaders of the Quilombo Cafundó. The meeting with the educational publication will take place on Friday 16, from 10am to 12pm at the Museo Nacional de Arte.
Performance – Ricardo Aleixo – O tempo todo tudo muda – Belo Horizonte
On June 22, Ricardo Aleixo will perform O tempo todo tudo muda [Everything changes all the time] during the traveling exhibition of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible at the Palácio das Artes in Belo Horizonte.
Belo Horizonte, MG
Performance – Ricardo Aleixo – Diário da encruza [Crossroads Diary] – Belo Horizonte
On June 22, Ricardo Aleixo will perform Diário da encruza [Crossroads Diary] during the traveling exhibition of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible at the Palácio das Artes in Belo Horizonte.
Belo Horizonte, MG
Traveling encounters of the 35th Bienal with Anderson Feliciano – Belo Horizonte
The Fundação Bienal de São Paulo and the Fundação Clóvis Salgado invite local institutions and organizations to a meeting at the Palácio das Artes for a series of talks and to share experiences of mediation based on the traveling exhibition and its relation to the educational publication. The meeting will be attended by performer, teacher and theater researcher Anderson Feliciano, who collaborated on the first movement of the educational publication.
Belo Horizonte, MG
Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – Belo Horizonte
Through a partnership between the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo and the Minas Gerais State Secretariat of Culture and Tourism, via the Fundação Clóvis Salgado, the Palácio das Artes will host a special selection of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible. Curated by Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes and Manuel Borja-Villel, the show will be on display in Belo Horizonte from June 20 to September 15, with free admission.
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Exhibition opening
Exhibition opening with presentation by Tambores de Aço and mediated visit.
Launch of the 35th Bienal’s educational publication – third movement in Brasília
On June 14, at 9 am, the third movement of the 35th Bienal’s educational publication will be launched at the Museu Nacional da República, in Brasília. The event will include a round table discussion entitled Da dança, da esquiva e de seus saberes: caminhadas e aprendizagens, with the team of the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo.
Brasília, Brazil
Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – Brasília
The Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy of the Federal District (SECEC-DF) and the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo are bringing a special selection of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible to the Museu Nacional da República. Curated by Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes and Manuel Borja-Villel, the exhibition will be on display in Brasília from June 13 to August 25, 2024, with free admission.
Brasília, Brazil
Exhibition opening
Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – Campinas
The city of Campinas, the third most populous in the state of São Paulo, will host one of the traveling exhibitions of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible, in partnership with Sesc São Paulo. The show arrives in the city on June 6 and will remain there until September 8. Curated by Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes and Manuel Borja-Villel, the exhibition was a success in 2023, receiving acclaim from both the public and critics.
Bonfim, Campinas, Brazil
Performance – Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda. – Nada! [Swim!] – São José do Rio Preto
On Sunday, May 26, the performance Nada! [Swim!], by Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda. will take place during the traveling exhibition of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible at Sesc Rio Preto.
Performance – Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda. – Isopor [Styrofoam] – São José do Rio Preto
On Saturday, May 25, the performance Isopor [Styrofoam], by Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda. will take place during the traveling exhibition of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible at Sesc Rio Preto.
Performance – Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda. – Frestas [Cracks] – São José do Rio Preto
On Friday, May 24, the performance Frestas [Cracks], by Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda. will take place during the traveling exhibition of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible at Sesc Rio Preto.
Conversation with Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda. – São José do Rio Preto
On Thursday, May 23, Não toque, isto é arte! – a conversation with Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda. will take place during the traveling exhibition of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible at Sesc Rio Preto.
São José do Rio Preto, SP
Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – Salvador
Through a partnership between the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo and IPAC – Instituto do Patrimônio Artístico e Cultural da Bahia, the Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia will host a special selection from the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible. Curated by Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes and Manuel Borja-Villel, the exhibition will be on display in the capital of Salvador from May 2 to July 28.
Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires will host one of the traveling exhibitions of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires – Malba. Curated by Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes and Manuel Borja-Villel, the show arrives in the city for its first exhibition outside the country, from March 20 to May 27. In the capital of Argentina they will be divided between the Malba, the country’s most important modern and contemporary art institution, and the Palacio Pereda, headquarters of the Brazilian embassy in Argentina, with a total of eight participating artists.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Education practices in contemporary art: the experience of the Bienal de São Paulo
In the context of the traveling exhibition 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible, to be inaugurated at the Malba and Palacio Pereda, the Fundação Bienal is presenting the projects developed by the education team, such as educational publications, courses, mediated visits and other actions to disseminate the Bienal, its history and the historic building it occupies. The purpose of the talk is to share experiences of education in contemporary art, taking into account the diverse audiences and contexts in which they take place, with an emphasis on the process of creating the educational publication for the 35th Bienal.
Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – Curitiba
Curitiba will host one of the traveling exhibitions of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible, in partnership with the Museu Oscar Niemeyer. Curated by Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes and Manuel Borja-Villel, the exhibition will land in the city, where it will remain open to the public from March 12 to May 26. The city will receive a special section, one of the largest outside São Paulo.
Centro Cívico, Curitiba, PR
Educational action
On March 13, at 7 pm, there will be an educational action related to the exhibition, in the Museum’s Mini-Auditorium. MON will host the education team from the 35th Bienal de São Paulo for a conversation based on the three movements of the exhibition’s educational publication, recognizing and integrating the open dimension of education.
Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – São José do Rio Preto
The city of São José do Rio Preto, in the northwestern region of the state of São Paulo, will host one of the sections of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo – choreographies of the impossible, in partnership with Sesc São Paulo. The show arrives in the city on March 5 and will remain there until May 26. Curated by Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes and Manuel Borja-Villel, the exhibition was a success in 2023, receiving acclaim from both the public and critics.
São José do Rio Preto, SP
Opening – Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – São José do Rio Preto
March 5, 7 pm (open to the public)
Traveling Exhibition 35th Bienal – Rio de Janeiro
Now in its seventh edition, the traveling exhibitions program of the Bienal de São Paulo will take selections from the main show to cities in Brazil and abroad in the year following its staging. In 2024, the first stop will be the Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (MAM Rio), where curators Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes, and Manuel Borja-Villel have designed a special segment of the show adapted to the characteristics and context of the city.
Parque do Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro
Cozinha Ocupação 9 de Julho – MSTC – Show – Aquilombamento Sonoro, Pastoras do Rosário invite Filhas da Mãe África
On December 10, Sunday, the show Aquilombamento Sonoro, proposed by Cozinha Ocupação 9 de Julho – MSTC will take place at 35th Bienal de São Paulo.
Performance – DENDORÍ Series of performances by and with Ricardo Aleixo – Afrodadafro
On December 10, the peformance Afrodadafro, will take place at 35th Bienal de São Paulo, which integrates DENDORÍ – Series of performances by and with Ricardo Aleixo.
Thematic visits with the Bienal education team
On December 10, there will be a series of thematic visits proposed by Bienal’s education team, wich consists in tours of the exhibition with specific focuses developed by the mediation team based on the research and interests that emerged during the training course.
Daniel Lie – Public dismantling of Outres
On December 10, the last day of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo, Daniel Lie’s installation-entity Outres will be publicly dismantled.
Varanda Bienal – Pastoras do Rosário – Da nebulosa ao brilho
In October this year, the Baobás of the Sá Menina Plataforma de Artes released their first album on the Sesc label, “Da Nebulosa, ao Brilho”, with special guest appearances by Lia de Itamaracá, Sergio Pererê, Luedji Luna, Carlos Casemiro and others.
Varanda Bienal – Preta Ferreira
Preta Ferreira, ARTVIST .
Singer, songwriter and performer. She began her professional musical career 10 years ago.
In 2019 she released the song and music video – doc Minha Carne (a song she composed for the film, Para Onde Voam As Feiticeiras and which took her to the professional level recognised by Abramus), with more than 50 women, indigenous and quilombolas, shown on national and international circuits, and with considerable hits on YouTube and Spotify.
Varanda Bienal – Mahmundi – Amor Fati
At the age of 36, raised in Marechal Hermes, in the northern zone of Rio, but settled in São Paulo four months ago – “in her third season” in the city – Mahmundi sings lightly about love, disaffection and some of the intersections between these two territories.
Performance – Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda. – Mirror
On December 9, Saturday, during the whole day, the performance Mirror, by Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda., will take place at the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion.
Sensing Salon – Denise Ferreira da Silva, Valentina Desideri
On December 9, saturday, an activation proposed by Denise Ferreira da Silva and Valentina Desideri will take place at 35th Bienal de São Paulo.
Performance – DENDORÍ Series of performances by and with Ricardo Aleixo – Fish Don’t Hold Anyone’s Hand
On December 9, the peformance Fish Don’t Hold Anyone’s Hand, will take place at 35th Bienal de São Paulo, which integrates DENDORÍ – Series of performances by and with Ricardo Aleixo.
Performance – Ventura Profana – How deep is the ocean?
On December 9, the performance How deep is the ocean?, by Ventura Profana, will take place during the last weekend of the 35th Bienal de São Paulo.
Thematic visits with the Bienal education team
On December 9, there will be a series of thematic visits proposed by Bienal’s education team, wich consists in tours of the exhibition with specific focuses developed by the mediation team based on the research and interests that emerged during the training course.
Performance – Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda. – Rest
On December 10, Thursday, during the whole day, the performance Rest, by Amador e Jr. Segurança Patrimonial Ltda., will take place at the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion.
Sauna Lésbica – Learning to listen – Ellen Oléria, mediated by Danielle Almeida
On November 25, Saturday, the panel Sauna Lésbica – Aline Brito, Alessandra Ayabá. Moderated by Danielle Almeida, will take place at 35th Bienal de São Paulo as part of Sauna Lésbica’s public programme.
Varanda Bienal – Mari Merenda
Mari Merenda is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from São Paulo. At the age of 24, she went viral, conquering her space in the world of music on social media.
Activation – Bienal educational team – Conversation on effective alliances between forest and pavement at Cozinha Ocupação 9 de Julho – MSTC with Jerá Guarani, Raquel Blaque and Daniel Wera
On Saturday, December 9, the 35th Bienal de São Paulo will host the Bienal education team’s Conversation on Effective Alliances between Forest and Asphalt, at the Ocupação 9 de Julho – MSTC Kitchen.
Panel – Ocupação 9 de Julho – MSTC – Presentation of the Rio Bexiga Park Project with Teatro Oficina
In 2020, the São Paulo City Council approved a bill to create the Bixiga Municipal Park, but the project was vetoed by the city council. Three years later, the project to create the Bixiga River Park has returned to the São Paulo City Council and has just been approved in the first vote.
Cozinha Ocupação 9 de Julho – MSTC – Slam das minas
São Paulo’s first gender-swapped poetry battle that works with literature in different languages, exploring the constructions possible through words with Pam Araújo, Carol Peixoto, Aflordescendente, Ibu Helena and Apêagá.
Fórum Feminista Negro – Denise Ferreira da Silva invites Leda Maria Martins
On December 8 there will be an activation proposed by Denise Ferreira da Silva and Fórum Feminista Negro, with the Brazilian poet and playwright Leda Maria Martins.
Performance – Will Rawls – A Phrase That Fits
On November 15, Will Rawls’s performance A Phrase That Fits, with the performers Flip Couto, Preto Téo, A TRANSÄLIEN and Sheyla Ayo, will take place at the 35th Bienal de São Paulo.
Performance – Davi Pontes e Wallace Ferreira – Repertoire n. 3
On December 6, Wednesday, the performance Repertoire n. 3, by Davi Pontes and Wallace Ferreira, will take place at the 35th Bienal de São Paulo.
Thematic visits with the Bienal education team
On December 3, there will be a series of thematic visits proposed by Bienal’s education team, wich consists in tours of the exhibition with specific focuses developed by the mediation team based on the research and interests that emerged during the training course.