As part of the 31st Bienal de São Paulo, with its emphasis on interchange and learning, the curatorial team (Charles Esche, Galit Eilat, Nuria Enguita Mayo, Pablo Lafuente and Oren Sagiv) is organising a series of open meetings with professionals from the art world and members of the general public. Those conversations are intended to function simultaneously as a research tool and form of critically evaluating the curatorial process, while involving artists, critics, curators, students and other stakeholders in the organization of the exhibition.
In São Paulo and other cities in Brazil and abroad the encounters are developed in partnership with local institutions. The gatherings are open insofar as they make the Bienal’s research process and curatorial discussions public, while serving as platforms from which to articulate and test the directions being taken. The series of meetings aims to intensify and amplify the channels of debate.
Open meetings already took place in Porto Alegre, Fortaleza, Recife, São Paulo, Lima, Belém, Salvador , Belo Horizonte, Madrid and Tel-Aviv. Other meetings are planned up until December 2014. Applications can be sent by e-mail to encontroaberto@bienal.org.br (limited vacancies).
In contrast to the first meetings, devoted to a survey of the local context in discussion with artists, writers, curators and cultural agents, the most recent ones focus o the status of the project and the implications of choices. Each meeting is documented and reported on by independent critics. The reports are posted online for consultation. The aim is to make the curatorial process pedagogical, open and accessible.
Open Meeting Porto Alegre, Brazil, 10 November 2013
Critical Report by Michelle Sommer
Open Meeting Fortaleza, Brazil, 7 November 2013
Critical Report by Luciana Eloy
Open Meeting Recife, Brazil, 13 November 2013
Critical Report by Olívia Mindêlo
Open Meeting Lima, Peru, 21 November 2013
Open Meeting São Paulo, Casa do Povo, Brazil, 30 November 2013
Critical Report by Daniela Gutfreund
Open Meeting Belém, Brazil, 19 December 2013
Critical Report by Maria Christina Barbosa
Open Meeting Salvador, Brazil, 23 January 2014
Critical Report by Rosa Gabriela de Castro Gonçalves
Open Meeting Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 6 February 2014
Critical Report by Francisca Caporalli
Open Meeting Madrid, Spain, 20 February 2014
Critical Report by Laura Vallés
Open Meeting Holon, Israel, 20 February 2014
Open Meeting São Paulo, Sesc Pompeia, Brazil, 22 March 2014
Critical Report by Lígia Nobre
Open Meeting Sorocaba, Brazil, 26 April 2014
Open Meeting São Carlos, Brazil, 24 May 2014
Open Meeting Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 6 June 2014
Open Meeting London, England, 10 June 2014
Open Meeting São Paulo, Sesc Belenzinho, Brazil 26 July 2014