Coimbra's Anozero Biennial Transforms City into Art Destination

The Anozero biennial, titled 'Tenir, donner, recevoir' (Hold, Give, Receive), is taking place across multiple historic sites in Coimbra, Portugal, including the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova, the Edifício Chiado museum, the Botanical Garden, and the Círculo de Artes Visuais. Featuring works by Nan Goldin (her 25-minute video 'Stendhal Syndrome', 2024), Taryn Simon, Shilpa Gupta, Julian Charrière, Rui Chafes, Adriana Molder, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Sandro Chia, Colectivo Sem-Fim, Luisa Cunha, Forensic Architecture, and Taysir Batniji, the biennial runs until an unspecified date. Coimbra, an ancient capital between Lisbon and Porto, is dominated by its UNESCO-listed university founded in 1290. Other landmarks include the Sé Velha cathedral (12th century), the baroque Joanina library (early 18th century), the Botanical Garden (1772), and the Quinta das Lágrimas estate. The National Museum Machado de Castro is closed for renovations until autumn. The city also features 24 student republics (repúblicas) and local eateries like Devaneio Fire Dining, No Tacho, and Pastelaria Briosa. The article was published in Beaux Arts Magazine n°504 in June 2026.