Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca to Represent Brazil at 58th Venice Biennale with New Film 'Swinguerra'
At the 58th Venice Biennale, Brazil will be represented by Bárbara Wagner, 38, and Benjamin de Burca, 43, with their film 'Swinguerra', which is currently in post-production. The project, commissioned by curator Gabriel Pérez-Barreiro, showcases swingueira and brega funk dancers alongside teenagers developing choreography in Recife. Their partnership spans six years and includes approximately ten projects, notably winning the Audi Short Film Award for 'RISE' (2018) at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival. The duo examines marginalized cultural communities and questions the concept of 'giving voice' to minorities. Wagner, originally from Brasília, and de Burca, from Munich, first met in Europe in 2009 and relocated to Recife in 2012. The Biennale is scheduled from May 11 to November 24, 2019, curated by Ralph Rugoff.
Key facts
- Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca will represent Brazil at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019.
- Their new film 'Swinguerra' is in post-production and was shot in Recife.
- The duo won the Audi Short Film Award at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival for 'RISE' (2018).
- Their collaborative practice began in 2013, spanning about ten major projects in six years.
- Their work blends documentary and fiction, created in conjunction with protagonists from marginalized cultural groups.
- They critique the activist concept of 'giving voice', emphasizing existing agency within communities.
- Their methodology is influenced by Jean Rouch's ethnofiction but involves more structured planning.
- The Venice Biennale's 2019 theme is 'May You Live in Interesting Times', curated by Ralph Rugoff.
Entities
Artists
- Bárbara Wagner
- Benjamin de Burca
- Gabriel Pérez-Barreiro
- Ralph Rugoff
- Jean Rouch
- Pedro Sotero
- Kleber Mendonça Filho
- Jochen Volz
- Kleber Mendonça
- Beyoncé
Institutions
- 58th Venice Biennale
- Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)
- Bienal de São Paulo
- Skulptur Projekte Münster
- Art Gallery of York University (AGYU)
- Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel
- PIPA Prize
- Berlin International Film Festival
- São Paulo Biennial
- 4th Indian Ocean Biennale
- ARTE!Brasileiros
- AGYU (Art Gallery of York University)
- Prêmio PIPA
- ArtReview
- Venice Biennale
Locations
- Recife
- Brazil
- Venice
- Italy
- Berlin
- Germany
- Toronto
- Canada
- Münster
- Palmares
- São Paulo
- Porto Feliz
- Réunion Island
- France
- Brasília
- Munich
- Glasgow
- Scotland
- Belfast
- Northern Ireland
- Zona da Mata
- Pernambuco
- Ilha da Reunião
- Munique
- Holanda
- Netherlands
- Giardini
- Bahia