The Bienal de São Paulo's Unseen Decade: 1969-1981
Isobel Whitelegg's essay for Afterall Journal 22 examines the Bienal de São Paulo's overlooked editions between 1969 and 1981, a period marked by political repression under Brazil's military regime and an international boycott. The boycott, sparked by evidence of censorship and arrests in 1969, was supported by prominent artists and critics like Mário Pedrosa and Pierre Restany, and led to the Contrabienal publication in New York. Despite international withdrawal, the Bienal continued locally, hosting experimental practices such as video, performance, and mail art. Key figures like Francisco Iñarra and Genilson Soares used the Bienal's physical space for critical interventions, while Fred Forest organized parallel actions in São Paulo. The 1981 edition, curated by Walter Zanini, reflected developments from the 1970s, including artists' books and mail art. The essay argues that these intervening editions shaped Brazilian art and challenge narratives of a 'cultural void.'
Key facts
- The Bienal de São Paulo faced a boycott from 1969 due to political repression under Emílio Garrastazu Médici's military government.
- The boycott was supported by artists and critics including Mário Pedrosa and Pierre Restany.
- The Contrabienal, a self-published book, was produced in New York in 1971 to support political prisoners.
- Experimental practices like video, performance, and mail art were accommodated in the Bienal during the 1970s.
- Artists Francisco Iñarra and Genilson Soares used the Bienal's space for critical interventions in 1973 and 1977.
- Fred Forest organized parallel actions in São Paulo during the 1973 Bienal, including an 'Aesthetic-Sociological Walk.'
- The 1981 edition curated by Walter Zanini spotlighted artists' books, video, and mail art.
- Grupo Segurança's 1973 project involved pouring pig's blood over the pavilion's exit ramp, leading to their expulsion.
Entities
Artists
- Isobel Whitelegg
- Vilém Flusser
- Mário Pedrosa
- Pierre Restany
- Gordon Matta-Clark
- Lygia Clark
- Hélio Oiticica
- Francisco Iñarra
- Genilson Soares
- Lydia Okumura
- Fred Forest
- Hervé Fischer
- Antoni Muntadas
- Jannis Kounellis
- Jean-Jacques Castex
- Sérvulo Esmerlado
- Arthur Luis Piza
- Erika Steinberger
- Waldemar Cordeiro
- Clemente Padín
- Marta Minujín
- Roberto Paez
- Juan Bercetche
- Alberto Cechi
- Eduardo Carlos Pereira
- Laura Machado de Mello Bueno
- Monica Mattar Oliva
- Jorge Glusberg
- Ivo Mesquita
- Luisa Duarte
- Margaret Garlake
- Paulo Herkenhoff
- Nelson Aguilar
- Frederico Morais
- Cristina Freire
- Ricardo Mendes
- Zuenir Ventura
Institutions
- Afterall
- Bienal de São Paulo
- Fundação Bienal de São Paulo
- Museu de Arte Contemporânea Campinas
- University of São Paulo Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC-USP)
- British Council
- Museo Latinoamericano
- Center for Inter-American Relations
- Collectif d'Art Sociologique
- Grupo Três
- Arte/Ação
- Grupo Segurança
- Centro de Processamento de Imagens, Instituto de Arte, University of Campinas
- Biennale des Jeunes
- Artforum
- Corriere della Serra
- The New York Times
- O Estado de São Paulo
- Johannes Gutenberg University
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- New York
- United States
- Europe
- Rio de Janeiro
- Bahia
- Campinas
- Brooklin
- Ibirapuera Park
- Barra Funda
- Rua Augusta
- Jundiaí
- France
- Canada
- Czechoslovakia
- Hungary
- Japan
- Poland
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- Argentina
Sources
- Afterall —