São Paulo Biennial announces list of participants for the 35th edition

The São Paulo Biennial Foundation announces the full list of 120 participants in the 35th São Paulo Biennial – choreographies of the impossible , curated by Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes and Manuel Borja-Villel, and the exhibition's spatial and expographic design developed by the architecture firm Vão. The announcement of the full list of participants consolidates the curatorial collective's intense research into the urgencies of today's world and reveals the different formats, movements and understandings of the title 'choreographies of the impossible'. The list of names echoes the voices of diasporas and indigenous peoples , expanding local and international dialogue. According to the curators: "The participants in this Biennial challenge the impossible in its most varied and incalculable forms. They live in impossible contexts, develop coping strategies, cross boundaries and escape the impossibilities of the world in which they live. They deal with total violence, the impossibility of life in complete freedom, inequalities, and their artistic expressions are transformed by the very impossibilities of our time . This Biennial embraces the impossible, the choreographies of the impossible, as a politics of movement and political movements intertwined in artistic expressions. It is an invitation to move among artists who transcend the idea of a progressive, linear and Western time . Impossibility is the common thread and the main criterion that guides the selection of these participants."

Full cast

Ahlam Shibli Aida Harika Yanomami, Edmar Tokorino Yanomami and Roseane Yariana Yanomami Aline Motta Amador and Jr. Asset Security Ltd. Amos Gitaï Ana Pi and Taata Kwa Nkisi Mutá Imê Anna Boghiguian Anne-Marie Schneider Trans Memory Archive (AMT) Arthur Bishop of the Rosary Aurora Cursino dos Santos Ayrson Heraclito and Tiganá Santana Welcome Chavajay Bouchra Ouizguen Cabello/Carceller Carlos Bunga Carmezia Emiliano Castiel Vitorino Brazilian Ceija Stojka Charles White Citra Sasmita Ayllu Collective Kitchen Occupation July 9th Daniel Lie Daniel Lind-Ramos David Pontes and Wallace Ferreira Dayanita Singh Deborah Anzinger Denilson Baniwa Denise Ferreira da Silva Diego Arauja and Lais Machado Duane Linklater Edgar Calel Elda Cerrato Elena Asins Elizabeth Catlett Ellen Gallagher and Edgar Cleijne Emmanuel Araujo Eustaquio Neves flo6x8 Francisco Toledo February 3rd Front Gabriel Gentil Tukano George Herriman Geraldine Javier Art and Politics Research Group (GIAP) Gloria Anzaldúa Guadalupe Maravilla Ibrahim Mahama Igshaan Adams Ilze Wolff Inaicyra Falcon January Janus Jesus Ruiz Durand John Woodrow Wilson Jorge Ribalta Jose Guadalupe Posada Juan van der Hamen and Leon Judith Scott Julien Creuzet Kamal Aljafari Kiwanga's Little Red Riding Hood Katherine Dunham Kidlat Tahimik Leilah Weinraub Leopoldo Mendez Luana Vitra Louis of Abreu MAHKU Malinche Manuel Chavajay Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs Marilyn Boror Bor Marlon Riggs Maya Deren M'barek Bouhchichi Melchor Maria Market Morzaniel Ramari Mounira Al-Solh Nadal Walcott Nadir Bouhmouch and Soumeya Ait Ahmed Hindi language Elche boy Nontsikelelo Mutiti Patricia Gómez and María Jesús González Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz Philip Rizk Cafundó Quilombo Rachel Lima Ricardo Aleixo Rolando Castellon Rommulo Vieira Conception Gaudí Rose Rosana Paulino Rubem Valentine Rubiane Maia Sammy Baloji Mofokeng Shrine Sarah Maldoror Lesbian Sauna by Malu Avelar with Ana Paula Mathias, Anna Turra, Bárbara Esmenia and Marta Supernova The Untamed Sidney Amaral Simone Leigh Sonia Gomes stanley brown Stella of Sponsorship Tadaskya Workshop 4 Red NN Workshop Tejal Shah The Living and the Dead Ensemble Dyson Torkwase Trinh T. Minh-Ha Ubirajara Ferreira Braga Profane Fortune Wifredo Lam Will Rawls Xica Manicongo Yto Barred Zumví Afro Photographic Archive * Names followed by * have already been announced in the first partial list.

The scenario of the choreographies of the impossible: architectural design

The renowned Vão team was invited to develop the architectural and exhibition design for the 35th São Paulo Biennial. With a remarkable track record, Vão stands out for its innovative and award-winning approach to architecture . The firm's partners Anna Juni , Enk te Winkel and Gustavo Delonero are recognized for their ability to create spaces that provoke interaction and reflection. With the project for the 35th São Paulo Biennial, Vão proposes an innovative look at the choreography of the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion, exploring the relationship between the exhibition space and the visitor experience . The group was challenged to confront the building's own modernist conceptual and structural conventions, in order to create a different flow of movement in the relationship between works and people.

The architectural project developed by Vão promises to offer a new experience for visitors, inviting the public to explore the space in a new vision: the central span of the Biennale Pavilion will be entirely closed for the first time in history . For the architects, the proposal goes beyond a new look at the iconic Pavilion: "From the beginning, we sought a design that would balance the desire not to re-enact the existing spatial choreography but, at the same time, not impose another choreography, completely disconnected from its internal logic. To achieve this, we had to dance with what was already there and with what was available. In other words, in addition to the focus on reusing the remaining materials from the old exhibitions, we aimed to create spaces from the constructive elements that make up the Pavilion ."

About the São Paulo Biennial Foundation

Founded in 1962, the São Paulo Biennial Foundation is a non-profit private institution with no political or religious affiliations, whose actions aim to democratize access to culture and stimulate interest in artistic creation. Every two years, the Foundation holds the São Paulo Biennial, the largest exhibition in the southern hemisphere, and its traveling exhibitions in several cities in Brazil and abroad. The institution is also the guardian of two artistic and cultural heritage sites of Latin America: a historical archive of modern and contemporary art that is a reference in Latin America (Wanda Svevo Historical Archive), and the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion, the Foundation's headquarters, designed by Oscar Niemeyer and listed as a Historical Heritage site. The São Paulo Biennial Foundation is also responsible for designing and producing Brazilian representations at the Venice Biennales of art and architecture, a prerogative that was granted to it decades ago by the Federal Government in recognition of the excellence of its contributions to Brazilian culture.

35th São Paulo Biennial – choreographies of the impossible

Curated by: Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes and Manuel Borja-Villel 6 September – 10 December 2023 Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun: 10am – 7pm (last entry: 6:30pm); Thu, Sat: 10am – 9pm (last entry: 8:30pm) Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion Ibirapuera Park Gate 3 Free entry