ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Wura-Natasha Ogunji Curates Collaborative Project for 33rd São Paulo Biennial

exhibition · 2026-04-23

Wura-Natasha Ogunji, a 48-year-old Afro-American artist based in Austin and Lagos, has been appointed as the artist-curator for 'Sempre, Nunca' at the 33rd Bienal de São Paulo. This initiative features commissioned pieces and a collaborative curatorial effort involving six artists: Lhola Amira, Mame-Diarra Niang, Nicole Vlado, Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze, and Youmna Chlala. Ogunji's artistic practice, which encompasses performance, drawing, and video art, offers a critique of modern Nigerian society and the roles of women within it. Her acclaimed performance 'Sweep' has gained international recognition. The Bienal launches in the context of ongoing impunity surrounding the assassination of Marielle Franco. Additional exhibitions in Brazil include 'Barracas e fachadas do nordeste,' 'Greve Negra Já!,' and 'Mestre Didi – invenção e ancestralidade na arte afro-brasileira.'

Key facts

  • Wura-Natasha Ogunji curates 'Sempre, Nunca' for the 33rd Bienal de São Paulo.
  • The project includes six artists: Lhola Amira, Mame-Diarra Niang, Nicole Vlado, Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze, Youmna Chlala, and Ogunji.
  • Ogunji uses embroidery to critique contemporary Nigerian society and women's roles.
  • Her performance 'Sweep' explores women's presence, identity, and diaspora across multiple countries.
  • The 33rd Bienal occurs amid ongoing impunity for the murder of Afro-descendant activist Marielle Franco in Brazil.
  • Numerous other exhibitions are listed across Brazil from January to November 2026.
  • Exhibitions include shows at MASP, IMS, Itaú Cultural, CCBB, and various galleries.
  • The article covers diverse themes: vernacular architecture, black labor, feminism, photography, and environmental crisis.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • 33ª Bienal de São Paulo
  • Galeria Galatea Salvador
  • Nara Roesler
  • Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo
  • MAES
  • Movimento Grevista Negro
  • Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo
  • Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
  • Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo Dionísio Del Santo
  • Secultes
  • Fundo de Cultura do Estado do Espirito Santo
  • Funcultura
  • Política Nacional Aldir Blanc
  • PNAB
  • Ministério da Cultura
  • MINC
  • Midiateca Capixaba
  • Governo do Estado
  • Sesc Sorocaba
  • Capela João de Camargo
  • Clube 28 de Setembro
  • Monumento Pelourinho
  • Monumento à Mãe Preta
  • CAIXA Cultural São Paulo
  • Phi Projetos
  • Cinnamon
  • CAIXA
  • Governo do Brasil
  • Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte
  • CCBB BH
  • Ateliê Marlene Barros
  • Ponto de Cultura Coletivo ZBM
  • Universidade de Aveiro
  • MASP
  • Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand
  • El Espacio 23
  • Coleção Jorge M. Pérez
  • Janaina Torres Galeria
  • FAMA Museu
  • IMS
  • Instituto Moreira Salles
  • Biblioteca de Fotografia
  • 10×10 Photobooks
  • Getty Research Institute
  • Museo Reina Sofía
  • Rijksmuseum
  • New York Public Library
  • Paris Photo
  • Livraria da Travessa
  • Simões de Assis
  • Galeria Estúdio Reverso
  • NND|Azeco
  • NONADA SP
  • DAN Galeria
  • SP-Arte
  • Casa de Cultura do Parque
  • Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea
  • ICCo
  • Lei Rouanet
  • banco BV
  • Laranjinha
  • Banco Itaú
  • Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin - USP
  • BBM-USP
  • Instituto Hercule Florence
  • Documenta Pantanal
  • Centro Maria Antônia da USP
  • Império Russo
  • Bibliothèque nationale de France
  • BnF
  • coleção Cyrillo Hercules Florence
  • Galeria Nara Roesler - SP
  • Roesler Hotel
  • Fonte
  • Carmo Johnson Projects
  • Itaú Cultural
  • IC
  • Ilê Asipá
  • Pina Luz
  • Pinacoteca
  • Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do Sesc
  • PGHEA-MAC/USP

Locations

  • São Paulo
  • Brazil
  • Austin
  • Lagos
  • United States
  • Nigeria
  • South Africa
  • France
  • Lebanon
  • Salvador
  • Bahia
  • BA
  • Vitória
  • Espírito Santo
  • ES
  • Sorocaba
  • SP
  • Porto Feliz
  • Nova York
  • Tóquio
  • Mumbai
  • Pequim
  • Jacarta
  • Belo Horizonte
  • Minas Gerais
  • MG
  • Maranhão
  • Portugal
  • Argentina
  • La Puntana
  • Paraguai
  • Gran Chaco
  • Amazônia
  • Miami
  • EUA
  • Campo Grande
  • Pernambuco
  • Recife
  • Ipojuca
  • Itu
  • Amsterdã
  • Los Angeles
  • Madri
  • Alameda Lorena
  • Jardim Paulista
  • Vila Nova Conceição
  • Centro
  • Alto de Pinheiros
  • Cidade Universitária
  • Vila Madalena
  • Boaçava
  • Bela Vista
  • Bom Retiro
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Olinda
  • Zona Leste paulistana
  • Recôncavo Baiano
  • Ilha de Itaparica
  • Algarve
  • Fortaleza
  • Santo Antônio da Patrulha
  • RS
  • África
  • Cameroon
  • Japão
  • América Latina
  • Tietê
  • Amazonas
  • Mato Grosso
  • Grão-Pará
  • Pantanal
  • Europa
  • Ásia

Sources

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