Five Guatemalan Maya Artists Feature Prominently in Sydney Biennale 'Rememory'

The 25th edition of the Biennale of Sydney, titled 'Rememory' and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, centers on colonialism and historical reparation with a strong presence of Indigenous and First Nations artists. Five Maya artists from Guatemala—Sandra Monterroso, Angélica Serech, Ángel Poyón, Fernando Poyón, and Edgar Calel—are featured, exploring ancestral knowledge, community practices, and tensions between Indigenous cosmologies and modernity. Their works engage with Australian debates on Indigenous sovereignty and colonial reparation, challenging historical institutional representation. Monterroso presents 'El Zigzag de la Montaña' at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, a textile installation with medicinal recipes. Serech's textile works expand on tradition. Ángel Poyón's installation at White Bay Power Station uses hoes and brooms as symbols of resistance. Fernando Poyón's 'Bringing joy to the earth' at Lewers Penrith Regional Gallery uses pencils to form a cornfield, critiquing colonial education. Calel's 'Pa sutz’ xkix tzolojpe' at White Bay Power Station features a 17-meter cloth with beeswax silhouettes, referencing displaced Maya communities. The works by Poyón brothers, Serech, and Calel were commissioned by the Biennale and Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, with advisory from Bruce Johnson McLean. The Biennale runs until June 14, 2026.