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35th São Paulo Biennial Announces 43 Artists, Emphasizes Decoloniality and Horizontal Curatorial Approach

festival-fair · 2026-04-20

The 35th São Paulo Biennial, titled 'Choreographies of the Impossible,' will open on September 6. Its curatorial collective—Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes, and Manuel Borja-Villel—rejects a single chief curator, opting for a horizontal structure they term 'contradance' to dismantle institutional hierarchies. A partial list of 43 artists, duos, and collectives was announced on April 27, with a full roster of over 100 names to follow. The curators, who began working together in late 2021, frame decoloniality not as a theme but as embodied knowledge and daily practice. They selected works that expand the relationship between art and politics beyond representation, including abstract, performative, and spiritual approaches. Examples include Denílson Baniwa's project involving planting native corn seeds and Torkwase Dyson's compositional Black thought. The biennial will be free, a decision the curators describe as inherently political. They addressed criticism of their initial curatorial text as vague, defending its processual nature and welcoming debate. The educational program, launching April 29, is central to their public engagement strategy.

Key facts

  • The 35th São Paulo Biennial opens on September 6, 2025.
  • The curatorial collective consists of Diane Lima, Grada Kilomba, Hélio Menezes, and Manuel Borja-Villel.
  • A partial list of 43 participants was announced on April 27, 2025.
  • The full list will include over 100 artists, duos, and collectives.
  • The curators began working together in the transition from 2021 to 2022.
  • The biennial will be free to the public.
  • The curatorial approach rejects a single chief curator in favor of a horizontal 'contradance.'
  • The educational program launches on April 29, 2025.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • 35th São Paulo Biennial
  • arte!brasileiros
  • Folha de S.Paulo
  • Bienal de São Paulo
  • Pavilhão da Bienal de São Paulo
  • Frente 3 de Fevereiro
  • Archivo de la Memoria Trans Argentina (AMT)
  • Movimento dos Artistas Huni Kuin (Mahku)
  • Vão
  • Museu Afro Brasil
  • Comunidade Cultural Quilombaque
  • Quilombo Cafundó
  • Cozinha Ocupação 9 de Julho
  • MTST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Teto)
  • 35th Bienal de São Paulo
  • Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion
  • La Borde
  • São Paulo Bienal
  • Archivo de la Memoria Trans (AMT)
  • Colectivo Ayllu
  • Grupo de Investigación en Arte y Política (GIAP)
  • MAHKU
  • Taller 4 Rojo
  • Taller NN
  • The Living and the Dead Ensemble
  • Zumví Arquivo Afro Fotográfico
  • Reina Sofia Museum

Locations

  • São Paulo
  • Brazil
  • Egypt
  • Suriname
  • Netherlands
  • Guatemala
  • Ghana
  • Bolivia
  • Argentina
  • Bali
  • Indonesia
  • Roraima
  • Spain
  • United States
  • Perus
  • Porto Alegre
  • Salvador
  • Bahia
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • South America
  • Nicaragua
  • France
  • Japan
  • Ukraine
  • Madrid

Sources

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