São Paulo Biennial 2025 Brings Global South Perspectives to Center Stage

The 36th Bienal de São Paulo opened on September 6, 2025, at Ibirapuera Park’s Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion, official Bienal de São Paulo announcement. It features 120 artists and collectives from Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Curator Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung organized the show under “No todo caminante anda caminos – Humanity as Practice,” inspired by Conceição Evaristo’s poem “Da calma e do silêncio.” He framed the Bienal as an estuary where diverse ideas meet.

Ndikung selected participants by mapping artistic migration like bird routes. He ensured many voices from the Global South shape the exhibition.

He expects visitors to encounter works that express generosity, humility, care and hospitality. He said art can sharpen our awareness and offer tools to rethink our world.

The exhibition occupies Oscar Niemeyer’s glass-and-concrete pavilion in Ibirapuera Park. Niemeyer designed it to blend modern architecture with nature. The Bienal remains free and open until January 11, 2026, as Brazil’s culture ministry confirms.

It also sends works to Casa do Povo in São Paulo’s Luz district and to international sites via “Aparitions,” an augmented-reality app developed with WAVA.

Programming extends beyond gallery walls. “Conjugations,” a series of debates and performances, will engage partners in Cotonou, Kampala, New York and Singapore. Local events in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo will explore collective practices.

Bienal Expands Global South Voices in Art and Culture

The ministry highlights the Bienal’s role in fostering South–South collaboration and inclusive cultural exchange. This edition marks the Bienal’s largest scale since 1951.

Its greater African and Latin American presence counters traditional art-world hierarchies. It also broadens global dialogues without relying on European or North American centers.

Officials note that free admission and itinerant works underscore the event’s democratic spirit. By prioritizing underrepresented narratives, the Bienal aims to reshape how institutions value diverse practices.

It invites audiences to observe how art and migration intertwine and how shared histories shape contemporary creativity. The display of artworks, installations and performances reflects urgent questions about displacement, memory and community.

The Bienal reaches millions of local and international visitors. It links past and present through art that values rootedness and mobility equally. Organizers believe this approach can inspire new ways to live together in an increasingly connected world.