14th Mercosul Biennial Opens in Porto Alegre with 'Estalo' Theme, Featuring 77 Artists Across 18 Venues
The 14th Mercosul Biennial, curated by Raphael Fonseca with assistants Tiago Sant’Ana, Yina Jiménez Suriel, and Fernanda Medeiros, opened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, under the theme 'Estalo'—a polysemic term for a transformative moment. Originally scheduled for last year but postponed due to floods, the event now occupies 18 exhibition spaces across the city, including iconic venues like Farol Santander and Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul, which were heavily affected by the disaster. The biennial features approximately 77 artists from 35 countries, presenting works ranging from AI-generated pieces to ancestral indigenous artifacts, alongside politically engaged and sustainability-focused projects. Highlights include a film/installation by 22-year-old Vitória Cribb at Farol Santander, exploring digital aesthetics and identity; a tribute to video art pioneer Nam June Paik; and an interactive sculpture, 'Brújula,' by Chilean artist Nicole L’Huillier. The biennial also collaborates with Projeto Ling, showcasing a mural by Mato Grosso artist Gervane de Paula, who criticizes the lack of art infrastructure in his state. Other notable participants include Cláudio Goulart, Zé Carlos Garcia, Maya Weishof, Peruvian artist Fátima Rodrigo, 87-year-old Valerie Brathwaite from Trinidad and Tobago, American photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya, and Randolpho Lamonier. The event aims to reaffirm Porto Alegre as an artistic hub, bringing art to both affluent neighborhoods and peripheries.
Key facts
- The 14th Mercosul Biennial's theme is 'Estalo,' chosen by curator Raphael Fonseca.
- It features about 77 artists from 35 countries across 18 venues in Porto Alegre.
- The event was postponed from last year due to floods that impacted the state.
- Highlights include works by Vitória Cribb, Nam June Paik, and Nicole L’Huillier.
- A collaboration with Projeto Ling presents a mural by Gervane de Paula from Mato Grosso.
- Curatorial team includes Raphael Fonseca, Tiago Sant’Ana, Yina Jiménez Suriel, and Fernanda Medeiros.
- The biennial occupies spaces like Farol Santander and Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul.
- It aims to reach both central and peripheral areas of Porto Alegre.
Entities
Artists
- Raphael Fonseca
- Tiago Sant’Ana
- Yina Jiménez Suriel
- Fernanda Medeiros
- Vitória Cribb
- Nam June Paik
- Nicole L’Huillier
- Gervane de Paula
- Cláudio Goulart
- Zé Carlos Garcia
- Maya Weishof
- Fátima Rodrigo
- Valerie Brathwaite
- Paul Mpagi Sepuya
- Randolpho Lamonier
- Iberê Camargo
- Fábio Magalhães
- Claudia Alarcón
- Montez Magno
- Mari Ra
- Zé di Cabeça
- Fabio Miguez
- Adenor Gondim
- Luciano Feijão
- Júlio Bittencourt
- Marlene Barros
- Willa Wasserman
- Ivald Granato
- Rogério Medeiros
- Rafael Hayashi
- Lázaro Roberto
- Felipe Rezende
- Andrea Brazil
- Darks Miranda
- Flávia Metzler
- Ivan Cardoso
- Yuli Yamagata
- Thalita Hamaoui
- Deborah Paiva
- Alice Gelli
- Gabi Gelli
- Nuno Ramos
- Marcos Amaro
- Anna Atkins
- Elizabeth B. Brownell
- Eslanda Cardozo Goode Robeson
- Annette Messager
- Angèle Etoundi Essamba
- Hiromix
- Claudia Andujar
- Maureen Bisilliat
- Gretta Sarfaty
- Vilma Slomp
- Claudia Jaguaribe
- Anna Mariani
- Stefania Bril
- Flavia Renault
- Belony Ferreira
- Paulo Pedro Leal
- Mestre Didi
- Georg Heinrich von Langsdorff
- Ludwig Riedel
- Néster Rubtsov
- Aimé-Adrien Taunay
- Hercule Florence
- Wilhelmine von Langsdorff
- Francisco Brennand
- José Cláudio
- Tadeu Kaingang
- Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui
- Antônio Bispo dos Santos
- Hannah Arendt
- Maria Noujaim
- Lalo de Almeida
- Paula Sampaio
- Miguel Chikaoka
- João Pompeu
- Jean Boghici
- Carlos Lacerda
- Alberto Henschel
- Abdias Nascimento
- Aracy Amaral
- Moacir dos Anjos
- Cao Guimarães
- Marcelo Silveira
- La Chola Poblete
- Sandra Gamarra Heshiki
- Santiago Yahuarcani
- Damián Ortega
- Sol Calero
- Carolina Caycedo
- Pablo Delano
- Rosa Elena Curruchich
- Manuel Herreros
- Mateo Manaure
- Jesús Soto
- Jasper Johns
- Henri Matisse
- Marie Laurencin
- Walter Benjamin
Institutions
- Mercosul Biennial
- Farol Santander
- Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul
- Projeto Ling
- Whitney Museum
- Guggenheim
- MoMA
- Smithsonian
- Nam June Paik Art Center
- Museu Iberê Camargo
- Pop Center
- Espaço Força e Luz
- Museu da Cultura Hip Hop
- Bienal do Mercosul
- MASP
- Instituto Moreira Salles
- Sesc Sorocaba
- CAIXA Cultural São Paulo
- Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte
- Galeria Nara Roesler
- Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel
- FAMA Museu
- DAN Galeria
- Casa de Cultura do Parque
- Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin
- Itaú Cultural
- Pinacoteca de São Paulo
- Galeria Galatea
- Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo
- Janaina Torres Galeria
- Casa Seva
- Simões de Assis
- Galeria Estúdio Reverso
- NONADA SP
- Fonte
- Carmo Johnson Projects
- 10×10 Photobooks
- Getty Research Institute
- Museo Reina Sofía
- Rijksmuseum
- New York Public Library
- Instituto Hercule Florence
- Documenta Pantanal
- Centro Maria Antônia da USP
- Bibliothèque nationale de France
- Ilê Asipá
- Ateliê Marlene Barros
- Coletivo ZBM
- Movimento Grevista Negro
- Phi Projetos
- Cinnamon
- Secretaria da Cultura
- Fundo de Cultura do Estado do Espírito Santo
- Ministério da Cultura
- Política Nacional Aldir Blanc
- Midiateca Capixaba
- Governo do Estado
- Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea
- Banco BV
- Laranjinha
- Banco Itaú
- Serviço de Repressão à Mendicância
- Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do Sesc
Locations
- Porto Alegre
- Brazil
- South Korea
- Chile
- Mato Grosso
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Peru
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United States
- Rio Grande do Sul
- São Paulo
- Salvador
- Bahia
- Sorocaba
- Belo Horizonte
- Minas Gerais
- Vitória
- Espírito Santo
- Rio de Janeiro
- Itu
- Nova York
- La Puntana
- Argentina
- Gran Chaco
- Paraguay
- Recife
- Pernambuco
- Olinda
- Miami
- El Espacio 23
- Porto Feliz
- Grão-Pará
- Amazônia
- Pantanal
- Los Angeles
- Madri
- Spain
- Amsterdã
- Aveiro
- Portugal
- Santo Antônio da Patrulha
- Algarve
- Campo Grande
- Mato Grosso do Sul
- Santiago
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Mumbai
- India
- Pequim
- China
- Jacarta
- Indonesia
- Fortaleza
- Ceará
- Ilha de Itaparica
- Recôncavo Baiano
- Zurich
- Switzerland