13th Mercosul Biennial Explores Trauma, Dream, and Escape with 100 Works Across Porto Alegre

The 13th Mercosul Biennial, themed 'Trauma, Dream, and Escape,' opened on September 15, 2022, marking its first in-person edition in four years. Curated by Marcello Dantas with assistant curators Carollina Lauriano, Laura Cattani, Munir Klamt, and Tarsila Riso, the event presents over 100 works by artists from 23 countries across ten venues in Porto Alegre, Brazil. President Carmen Ferrão anticipates 800,000 visitors for this inclusive exhibition. A key technological section, 'Transe,' curated by Laura Cattani and Munir Klamt at the Instituto Caldeira, features 19 selected projects from nearly 900 open-call submissions, emphasizing experimental media art. Notable installations include 'Órgano primo: Condensador de Cuerpos' by the duo Esfincter (Luis Enrique Zela-Koort and Genietta Varsi), a robotic sphincter inspired by pre-modern cosmologies, and 'Insurreição Micorrízica' by Cesar & Lois (Cesar Baio and Lucy HG Solomon), which combines AI, living mycelium, and digital networks. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's 'Pulse Topology' at Santander Cultural captures visitors' heartbeats with 3,000 lights. Other significant works address political themes, such as José Bento's 'Ar,' featuring 36 wooden sculptures resembling oxygen cylinders to critique COVID-19 shortages, and Marilá Dardot's 'Zero Tolerance Silver Clouds,' connecting U.S. migration policies to Andy Warhol. The biennial runs until November 20, 2022, with visits by appointment.