Bienal de São Paulo and UOL launch second season of art podcast Em Obras

The Fundação Bienal de São Paulo and UOL have launched the second season of their podcast Em Obras, which connects artworks from the Bienal's website with the life stories of notable figures. Narrated by singer Xênia França, the series airs Fridays on audio platforms, YouTube, and the Bienal's site. Among the personalities featured are author Itamar Vieira Junior, psychoanalyst and writer Maria Homem, UOL columnist Milly Lacombe, and actor-director Michel Melamed. The first of seven episodes focuses on Colombian artist Leonel Vásquez's work Templo da água, inspired by the polluted Tietê river in São Paulo, drawing parallels to the Bogotá river. Itamar Vieira Junior shares his experiences with the Paraguaçu river and water's significance in his family history and literary work. Andrea Pinheiro, president of the Fundação Bienal, stated that the partnership aims to expand access to art and bring new perspectives from the 36th Bienal to diverse audiences. This season is funded by Fomento Cult SP – ProAC, a program of the São Paulo state government through its Secretariat of Culture, Creative Economy, and Industry. In 2021, the same collaborators produced the podcast series Bienal 70 anos, intertwining Bienal histories with cultural and social contexts across decades.