30th Bienal de São Paulo explores poiesis through nine thematic clusters

The 30th Bienal de São Paulo, curated by Luis Pérez-Oramas, reimagines the survey exhibition as a philosophical inquiry into art's function, centered on poiesis and imminence. Organized into nine clusters, the show progresses from material to society, featuring works like Sheila Hicks's weavings and August Sander's complete 'People of the Twentieth Century' series. Hicks's pieces, displayed with her travel notebooks from Peru, Mexico, and Japan, address labor and tradition, while Sander's photographs analyze Weimar Germany's social architecture through categorization and representation. Alair Gomes's homoerotic photographs and Mark Morrisroe's images from 1980s New York's East Village highlight constructed communities, alongside Jiří Kovanda's actions in Communist Czechoslovakia that challenged conformity. Alejandro Cesarco's textual analyses exemplify discursive approaches, though the exhibition's wall texts and catalog essays, referencing European theorists, are critiqued as overly academic. The biennial aims to transform viewers into active participants creating meaning, yet its reliance on provocative object combinations and undefined poetic terminology raises questions about communication and audience engagement. Historically, the first Bienal de São Paulo in 1951 awarded Max Bill the sculpture prize, sparking debates in Brazil about abstraction's political role during rapid national development.