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14th Mercosul Biennial Opens in Porto Alegre with 'Estalo' Theme, Featuring 77 Artists Across 18 Venues

festival-fair · 2026-04-19

The 14th Mercosul Biennial, curated by Raphael Fonseca with assistants Tiago Sant’Ana, Yina Jiménez Suriel, and Fernanda Medeiros, opened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, under the theme 'Estalo'—a polysemic term for a transformative moment. Originally scheduled for last year but postponed due to floods, the event now occupies 18 exhibition spaces across the city, including iconic venues like Farol Santander and Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul, which were heavily affected by the disaster. The biennial features approximately 77 artists from 35 countries, presenting works ranging from AI-generated pieces to ancestral indigenous artifacts, alongside politically engaged and sustainability-focused projects. Highlights include a film/installation by 22-year-old Vitória Cribb at Farol Santander, exploring digital aesthetics and identity; a tribute to video art pioneer Nam June Paik; and an interactive sculpture, 'Brújula,' by Chilean artist Nicole L’Huillier. The biennial also collaborates with Projeto Ling, showcasing a mural by Mato Grosso artist Gervane de Paula, who criticizes the lack of art infrastructure in his state. Other notable participants include Cláudio Goulart, Zé Carlos Garcia, Maya Weishof, Peruvian artist Fátima Rodrigo, 87-year-old Valerie Brathwaite from Trinidad and Tobago, American photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya, and Randolpho Lamonier. The event aims to reaffirm Porto Alegre as an artistic hub, bringing art to both affluent neighborhoods and peripheries.

Key facts

  • The 14th Mercosul Biennial's theme is 'Estalo,' chosen by curator Raphael Fonseca.
  • It features about 77 artists from 35 countries across 18 venues in Porto Alegre.
  • The event was postponed from last year due to floods that impacted the state.
  • Highlights include works by Vitória Cribb, Nam June Paik, and Nicole L’Huillier.
  • A collaboration with Projeto Ling presents a mural by Gervane de Paula from Mato Grosso.
  • Curatorial team includes Raphael Fonseca, Tiago Sant’Ana, Yina Jiménez Suriel, and Fernanda Medeiros.
  • The biennial occupies spaces like Farol Santander and Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul.
  • It aims to reach both central and peripheral areas of Porto Alegre.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Mercosul Biennial
  • Farol Santander
  • Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul
  • Projeto Ling
  • Whitney Museum
  • Guggenheim
  • MoMA
  • Smithsonian
  • Nam June Paik Art Center
  • Museu Iberê Camargo
  • Pop Center
  • Espaço Força e Luz
  • Museu da Cultura Hip Hop
  • Bienal do Mercosul
  • MASP
  • Instituto Moreira Salles
  • Sesc Sorocaba
  • CAIXA Cultural São Paulo
  • Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte
  • Galeria Nara Roesler
  • Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel
  • FAMA Museu
  • DAN Galeria
  • Casa de Cultura do Parque
  • Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin
  • Itaú Cultural
  • Pinacoteca de São Paulo
  • Galeria Galatea
  • Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo
  • Janaina Torres Galeria
  • Casa Seva
  • Simões de Assis
  • Galeria Estúdio Reverso
  • NONADA SP
  • Fonte
  • Carmo Johnson Projects
  • 10×10 Photobooks
  • Getty Research Institute
  • Museo Reina Sofía
  • Rijksmuseum
  • New York Public Library
  • Instituto Hercule Florence
  • Documenta Pantanal
  • Centro Maria Antônia da USP
  • Bibliothèque nationale de France
  • Ilê Asipá
  • Ateliê Marlene Barros
  • Coletivo ZBM
  • Movimento Grevista Negro
  • Phi Projetos
  • Cinnamon
  • Secretaria da Cultura
  • Fundo de Cultura do Estado do Espírito Santo
  • Ministério da Cultura
  • Política Nacional Aldir Blanc
  • Midiateca Capixaba
  • Governo do Estado
  • Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea
  • Banco BV
  • Laranjinha
  • Banco Itaú
  • Serviço de Repressão à Mendicância
  • Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do Sesc
  • Margs
  • Memorial do Rio Grande do Sul
  • Centro Cultural Santander
  • Orquestra de Câmara Fundarte
  • Queer Museu
  • Comunidade Quilombola do Areal
  • Casa 6
  • Usina do Gasômetro
  • Museu de Arte Contemporânea do Rio Grande do Sul
  • Fundação Vera Chaves Barcellos
  • Fundação Iberê Camargo
  • ArtReview
  • Mercosur Biennial

Locations

  • Porto Alegre
  • Brazil
  • South Korea
  • Chile
  • Mato Grosso
  • Amsterdam
  • Netherlands
  • Peru
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • United States
  • Rio Grande do Sul
  • São Paulo
  • Salvador
  • Bahia
  • Sorocaba
  • Belo Horizonte
  • Minas Gerais
  • Vitória
  • Espírito Santo
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Itu
  • Nova York
  • La Puntana
  • Argentina
  • Gran Chaco
  • Paraguay
  • Recife
  • Pernambuco
  • Olinda
  • Miami
  • El Espacio 23
  • Porto Feliz
  • Grão-Pará
  • Amazônia
  • Pantanal
  • Los Angeles
  • Madri
  • Spain
  • Amsterdã
  • Aveiro
  • Portugal
  • Santo Antônio da Patrulha
  • Algarve
  • Campo Grande
  • Mato Grosso do Sul
  • Santiago
  • Tokyo
  • Japan
  • Mumbai
  • India
  • Pequim
  • China
  • Jacarta
  • Indonesia
  • Fortaleza
  • Ceará
  • Ilha de Itaparica
  • Recôncavo Baiano
  • Zurich
  • Switzerland
  • Pelotas
  • Africa
  • Cuba
  • Angola
  • Germany
  • Republic of Congo
  • New York
  • Curaçao
  • Bolivia
  • Canada
  • Iraq
  • Puerto Rico
  • Mexico
  • Lithuania
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Palestine
  • Singapore
  • Taiwan
  • Guadalupe
  • Turkey
  • Hong Kong
  • Uruguay
  • Trinidad & Tobago
  • Colombia
  • Venezuela
  • England

Sources

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