Bienal das Amazônias Launches in Belém with 115 Artists and Collective Curatorial Vision

The inaugural Bienal das Amazônias opens on August 3 in Belém, Pará, and other Brazilian Amazonian cities, running until November 5. Conceived over two decades ago by cultural producer Lívia Condurú and artistic director Yasmina Reggad, the biennial aims to reframe symbolic production from the diverse territories of the Amazon region. It will feature 115 artists and is projected to attract 300,000 visitors. Departing from traditional institutional settings, its main venue is a secret, 8,000-square-meter former department store, supplemented by 20 public artworks across the city. The curatorial collective, named sapukai, initially included four women and is now led by Keyna Eleison and Vânia Leal. The curatorial concept is built around the Tupi-derived term "bubuia," meaning to float, which guides six thematic axes exploring issues from historical violence to shared pleasure. The biennial explicitly seeks to challenge external narratives about the Amazon, asserting local agency with the motto "nothing about us, without us." It aims to engage national and international collectors, universities, and politicians while centering practices often marginalized by the hegemonic art circuit, including those of Indigenous, quilombola, and riverside communities. The project, originally planned for 2021, faced delays due to administrative hurdles and the Bolsonaro administration's cultural policies.