Thiago de Paula Souza named curator of 8th Athens Biennale, boosting Brazilian presence globally

Thiago de Paula Souza has been appointed curator of the 8th Athens Biennale, scheduled for spring 2027. The Brazilian curator, based between São Paulo and Berlin, is currently part of the curatorial team for the 36th São Paulo Biennial and previously participated in the 10th Berlin Biennale (2018). His recent projects include co-curating the 38th Panorama of Brazilian Art at MAM São Paulo (2024) and the exhibition 'Some May Work as Symbols: Art Made in Brazil, 1950s–70s' at Raven Row in London. He also serves on the artistic committee of the NESR Art Foundation in Angola. The Athens Biennale, founded in 2005, is known for addressing urgent political, social, and economic issues. The selection was made by a new board and an international curatorial committee including Massimiliano Gioni, Katerina Gregos, Stefanie Hessler, and Gabi Ngcobo. This appointment highlights a growing trend of Brazilian curators leading major international biennials, such as Adriano Pedrosa as chief curator of the Venice Biennale 2024, Denilson Baniwa and Gustavo Caboco Wapichana as curators of the Brazilian Pavilion at Venice 2024, and Rosana Paulino, Diane Lima, and Adriana Varejão curating the Brazilian Pavilion for the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026.