Sara Flores to Present Indigenous Shipibo Art at Peru's Venice Biennale Pavilion

Sara Flores will represent Peru at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026, marking the first time an Indigenous artist has been selected for the Peruvian Pavilion. Her exhibition, titled 'From Other Worlds,' will feature large-scale kené paintings, ethereal painted sculptures, and a video work created specifically for the event. The presentation is curated by Issela Ccoyllo and Matteo Norzi and will be located in the Arsenale section of the Biennale. Flores, a member of the Shipibo-Konibo people, bases her practice on kené, a visual design system rooted in ancestral knowledge from the Amazonian forest, rivers, and medicinal plants. She describes kené as a form of visual medicine transmitted through generations of women, serving as a practice of repair and territorial resistance against ecological threats like logging and mining. The artist notes a strong connection between her work and the Biennale's theme, 'In Minor Keys,' which emphasizes slower rhythms, healing, and listening to natural signals. Flores highlights that another Shipibo artist, Celia Vásquez Yui, is also featured in the main exhibition, underscoring the contemporary relevance of Indigenous cosmologies. The Biennale runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026, and Flores's participation reflects a shift toward pluricultural representation in national pavilions.