29th São Paulo Biennial and Inhotim's New Pavilions

The 29th São Paulo Biennial, curated by Agnaldo Farias and Moacir dos Anjos with five co-curators, opened in September 2010 under the theme "Art and Politics." The sprawling exhibition featured 150 artists, including historical works from the 1960s-70s, but was criticized for its labyrinthine layout and lack of coherent dialogue. Highlights included Steve McQueen's film on the Statue of Liberty, Douglas Gordon's 60-TV career retrospective, Tatiana Trouvé's 350 plumb lines, Alfredo Jaar's slide installation, and Francis Alÿs's video "Tornado." Disappointments included Ai Weiwei's bronze totems and Nuno Ramos's live vultures. Meanwhile, the inauguration of new pavilions at Inhotim, 30 km from Belo Horizonte, was the season's major event, featuring works by Miguel Rio Branco, Neville D'Almeida, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, praised for its coherence and artist involvement.