Jacopo Crivelli Visconti appointed curator for 2020 São Paulo Bienal amid diversity critique

The 2020 São Paulo Bienal will be directed by Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, an Italian curator currently based in São Paulo. He was chosen after a competitive selection process that included five curators. Crivelli Visconti has prior experience with the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo from 2001 to 2009 and curated the Brazilian Pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale. His appointment has sparked criticism on social media regarding the lack of diversity, highlighted by curator Pablo Leon de la Barra, who pointed out that only two women have ever curated the biennial in its 68-year existence, with no Afrobrazilian curator to date. His recent projects encompass curating the Cypriot pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale and organizing exhibitions for notable artists. His curatorial team features Paulo Miyada, along with guest curators Carla Zaccagnini, Francesco Stocchi, and Ruth Estévez.