Christine Macel's Shaman Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale

The 2017 Venice Biennale, curated by Christine Macel under the theme Viva Arte Viva, featured a Shaman Pavilion among nine thematic pavilions. Macel prioritized artists over market forces, selecting 120 artists, many lesser-known. The Shaman Pavilion included seven artists: Ernesto Neto (Brazil, 1964) with a web-like tent referencing Huni Kuin rituals; Younés Rahmoun (Morocco, 1975) with 77 wool caps exploring Sufism; Enrique Ramírez (Chile, 1979) with a video of a Charon-like figure in Bolivia's Uyuni salt flat; Ayrson Heráclito (Brazil, 1968) with a two-channel video of Afro-Brazilian purification rites; Rina Banerjee (India, 1963) with sculptural assemblages; Jelili Atiku (Nigeria, 1968) with a procession of 72 women; and Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa (Guatemala, 1978) with a therapeutic performance. The pavilion emphasized art as a magical, healing force bridging visible and invisible worlds, drawing on Buddhist, Sufi, and indigenous traditions. The number seven symbolized totality and universal balance.