Examining the Ecological Impact and Cultural Role of International Biennials

Manuela Moscoso, executive and artistic director of CARA (Center for Art, Research, and Alliances), analyzes the environmental implications of biennial exhibitions in a recent article. She addresses criticisms that these global art events contribute to carbon emissions through extensive transportation networks while often addressing ecological themes. Moscoso argues that focusing solely on biennials overlooks broader systemic issues, noting that museums, art fairs, and other cultural institutions all operate within resource-intensive systems. The curator challenges assumptions that mobile audiences necessarily produce superficial engagement, pointing out that biennials serve multiple constituencies including local communities, regional networks, and international visitors. Drawing from her experience curating the Second Bienal das Amazônias (2025), the Eleventh Liverpool Biennial (2021), and the Bienal de Cuenca (2014), Moscoso introduces the concept of 'extrativista' from Brazilian Amazon communities—a practice of resource use based on renewal rather than exhaustion. She contends that cultural production inherently involves extraction of resources, labor, and attention, making biennials particularly visible sites where these metabolic relationships become apparent. The article suggests that biennials from regions historically treated as resource frontiers face disproportionate ecological scrutiny compared to established institutions in the Global North. Moscoso concludes that addressing ecological concerns requires rethinking circulation as reciprocal and responsible rather than retreating from global cultural exchange.