São Paulo's 34th Bienal Criticized for Romanticizing Catastrophe and Ignoring Present Crises
The 34th Bienal de São Paulo, titled 'Faz escuro mas eu canto,' is critiqued for promoting a romanticized vision of resistance that overlooks contemporary urgencies. Curated by Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, Paulo Miyada, Carla Zaccagnini, Francesco Stocchi, and Ruth Estévez, the exhibition is faulted for focusing on historical figures like Frederick Douglass and João Cândido while ignoring Brazil's current political and health crises. Indigenous artists Daiara Tukano, Sueli Maxakali, Jaider Esbell, Uyra, and Gustavo Caboco are included, yet the curatorial team lacks Black representation. Works by Clara Ianni and João Loureiro offer rare contemporary commentary. The show runs at the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion in Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil.
Key facts
- The 34th Bienal de São Paulo is titled 'Faz escuro mas eu canto.'
- The curatorial team includes Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, Paulo Miyada, Carla Zaccagnini, Francesco Stocchi, and Ruth Estévez.
- The exhibition is criticized for romanticizing historical resistance while ignoring present-day crises in Brazil.
- Indigenous artists featured include Daiara Tukano, Sueli Maxakali, Jaider Esbell, Uyra, and Gustavo Caboco.
- The curatorial leadership has no Black representation.
- Clara Ianni's work 'Derrubada' comments on Brazil's international isolation.
- João Loureiro's installation 'Serpente' features a live boa constrictor.
- The Bienal takes place at the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion in Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil.
Entities
Artists
- Thiago de Mello
- Frederick Douglass
- João Cândido
- Daiara Tukano
- Sueli Maxakali
- Jaider Esbell
- Uyra
- Gustavo Caboco
- Naine Terena
- Antonio Dias
- Lygia Pape
- Lasar Segall
- Eleonore Koch
- Clara Ianni
- João Loureiro
- Jacopo Crivelli Visconti
- Paulo Miyada
- Carla Zaccagnini
- Francesco Stocchi
- Ruth Estévez
- André Gide
Institutions
- Bienal de São Paulo
- Museu Nacional
- Pinacoteca do Estado
- Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro
- Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
- Ateliê 397
- Veneza
- Kassel
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro
- Ilha das Cobras
- Parque Ibirapuera
- Barra Funda