press information
september2010
29th São Paulo Biennial
There is always a cup of sea to sail in
September 25 to December 12, 2010
Opening September 21, 2010
Venue: Pavilhão Ciccillo Matarazzo, Parque do Ibirapuera, São Paulo
Chief-curators: Moacir dos Anjos and Agnaldo Farias
Co-curators: Chus Martinez, Fernando Alvim, Rina Carvajal, Sarat Maharaj and Yuko
Hasegawa.
Organized by Fundação Bienal de São Paulo, the 29th edition of the São Paulo Biennial is rooted
in the idea that it is impossible to separate art from politics. By procedures and means that are
distinctive to it, art constantly questions and interrupts the sensorial coordinates by which one
perceives and inhabits the world, thus inserting themes, subjects and attitudes that did not fit
there before.
This curatorial platform takes into account two related facts. Firstly, the evidence that, as
traditional paradigms of sociability (at both local and global level) have been called into
question in the last few decades, art has affirmed itself as a privileged medium for both
apprehending and reinventing reality. Secondly, the recognition that this process has brought
art and politics together to the point of almost non-distinction, thus underscoring the urgent
need to emphasize the difference between art and other realms of knowledge.
The exhibition’s title, There is always a cup of sea to sail in – a line taken from Brazilian poet
Jorge de Lima’s major work Invenção de Orfeu [The invention of Orpheus] (1952) –, sums up
the primary objective pursued by the 29th São Paulo Biennial: to assert that the utopian
dimension of art is to be found in art itself, rather than in what lies outside or beyond it. This
“cup of sea,” this infinity close at hand which artists relentlessly produce, is what provides the
power to move forward in spite of all adversity.
As a space for the reverberation of this commitment in many of its forms, the exhibition will
enable visitors to think about and experience the world beyond the consensuses that organize
it and keep it a small place, one in which not everything or everyone can fit in. The exhibition
will put the visitor in contact with the politics of art.
The 29th São Paulo Biennial is therefore intended to celebrate art-making while also asserting
art’s responsibility towards life; to unsettle the senses at the same time as it generates
knowledge not found anywhere else; to draw visitors into the irreducible experience artworks
offer, as well as stressing their ability to critically reflect the world they are inscribed within.
Ultimately, the 29th São Paulo Biennial is intended to offer examples of how art weaves its own
politics.
The exhibition will display works by 159 artists from all over the world selected by the
curatorial team. The so-called national representations – a model adopted by the São Paulo
Biennial until 2004 – have been definitively dismissed by the institution, as they do not convey
the complex networks of cultural flows that characterize contemporary life either locally or
globally. However, it is of the utmost importance for the 29th São Paulo Biennial to stress the
place and time of its conception: Brazil, at a moment of rapid global geopolitical
reorganization.
Tackling the challenges posed by the curatorial project involves more than just the choice of
artists and works. Designed as a place where one can meet, talk, share and argue with the
other, and where one can acquire knowledge whilst being challenged on one’s own values, the
exhibition environment itself will echo the potency of politics as something that creates what
is not given, or as something that makes conceivable what was once not even foreseeable.
In order to deal with such ambition, six spaces of conviviality will be built inside the São Paulo
Biennial’s permanent site, Oscar Niemeyer’s 30,000 square-meter modernist pavilion located
in Ibirapuera Park. Projected by guest artists and architects, these spaces will be used both as
resting places along the exhibition path and as the venues for talks, lectures, screenings,
performances, musical presentations, poetry readings, and (re)enactments of plays, among
many other activities. Named Terreiros, these constructed territories will symbolically recall
the spaces (mixes of squares, temples and backyards) where people in different parts of Brazil
gather to celebrate, debate, sing, mourn, party, and practice the nation’s hybrid spirituality.
The curatorial project for the 29th São Paulo Biennial does not therefore exhaust itself in the
presentation of an articulated set of works of art, even though this is clearly its core and main
purpose. From the programming for each of the Terreiros, many questions will be raised and
discussed evincing the deep and diverse presence of art in life. Between a cup of sea to sail in
and a piece of land on which to gather, art asserts its politics.
Moreover, the 29th São Paulo Biennial will be limited neither to its main site nor to the
exhibition dates, but will extend into different locations and start well in advance of the
opening of the exhibition proper. Through an innovative educational program already
underway in hundreds of schools in São Paulo and nearby cities, a project of residencies,
workshops and talks for both artists and curators scheduled to run from March to December
2010 and an interactive website expected to go online in July, the 29th São Paulo Biennial has
the ambition to be a multi-faceted and de-centered project in which art is nevertheless at all
places and times affirmed as capable of changing the way one understands and occupies the
world.
Schedule
September 20 – Preview
From 9 AM to 5 PM (media)
11 AM: Press Conference
September 21 – Preview
From 9 AM to 5 PM (media)
7 PM: Preopening for institutional, artistic and other guests
September 22 to 24
7 PM: Sponsors’ guests
September 22 and 23
Morning and afternoon: Teachers (educational program)
September 25
10 AM: Official opening of the 29th São Paulo Bienal
December 12
Closing of the 29th São Paulo Bienal
Opening Hours
Monday to Wednesday: 9 AM to 7 PM
Thursday and Friday: 9 AM to 10 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 9 AM to 7 PM
Additional media information:
www.29bienal.org.br
[email protected]
Press Contact
A4 Comunicação – 55 11 3897.4122
Paula Barcellos – [email protected]
Carolina Dias – [email protected]
Mai Carvalho – [email protected]
LIST OF ARTISTS
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Adrian Piper / USA / Germany / 1948
Aernout Mik / Netherlands / Netherlands / 1962
Ai Weiwei / China / China / 1957
Albano Afonso / Brasil / Brasil / 1964
Alberto Greco / Argentina / 1931 - 1965
Alessandra Sanguinetti / USA / USA / 1968
Alfredo Jaar / Chile / USA / 1956
Alice Miceli / Brasil / Brasil / 1980
Allan Sekula / USA / USA / 1951
Allora & Calzadilla – Allora / USA / Puerto Rico / 1974 and Calzadilla / Cuba / Puerto
Rico / 1971
Amar Kanwar / India / India / 1964
Amélia Toledo / Brasil / Brasil / 1926
Ana Gallardo / Argentina / Argentina / 1958
Andrea Büttner / Germany / Germany / 1972
Andrea Geyer / Germany / Germany and USA / 1971
Andrew Esiebo / Nigeria / Nigeria / 1978
Anna Maria Maiolino / Italy / Brasil / 1942
Anri Sala / Albania / Germany / 1974
Antonieta Sosa / USA / Venezuela / 1940
Antonio Dias / Brasil / Brasil / 1944
Antonio Manuel / Portugal / Brasil / 1947
Apichatpong Weerasethakul / Thailand / Thailand / 1970
Archigram Group / England / 1960s
Artur Barrio / Portugal / Brasil / 1946
Artur Zmijewski / Poland / Poland / 1966
CADA - Colectivo Acciones de Arte / Chile / 1979
Cao Fei / China / 1978
Carlos Bunga / Portugal / Spain / 1976
Carlos Garaicoa / Cuba / Cuba
Carlos Teixeira / Brasil / Brasil / 1966
Carlos Vergara / Brasil / Brasil / 1941
Carlos Zilio / Brasil / Brasil / 1944
Chantal Akerman / Belgium / France / 1950
Chen Chieh-jen / Taiwan / 1960
Chim Pom / Japan
Cildo Meireles / Brasil / Brasil / 1948
Cinthia Marcelle / Brasil / Brasil / 1974
Claudia Joskowicz / Bolivia / USA
Claudio Perna / Venezuela / 1938-1997
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Daniel Senise / Brasil / Brasil / 1955
David Claerbout / Belgium / Belgium / 1969
David Cury / Brasil / Brasil
David Goldblatt / South Africa / South Africa / 1930
David Lamelas / Argentina / Argentina and USA / 1946
David Maljkovic / Croatia / Croatia / 1973
Deimantas Narkevicius / Lithuania / 1964
Dora Garcia / Spain / Belgium / 1965
Douglas Gordon / Scotland / Germany, Scotland and USA / 1966
Eduardo Coimbra / Brasil / Brasil / 1955
Eduardo Navarro / Argentina / Argentina /1979
Efrain Almeida / Brasil / Brasil / 1964
Emily Jacir / Palestine / USA and Palestine / 1970
Enrique Jezik / Argentina / Mexico / 1961
Ernesto Neto / Brasil / Brasil / 1964
Fernando Lindote / Brasil / Brasil / 1960
Filipa César / Portugal / Germany / 1975
Fiona Tan / Indonesia / Netherlands / 1966
Flávio de Carvalho / Brasil / 1899 - 1973
Francis Alÿs / Belgium / Mexico / 1959
Gabriel Acevedo / Peru / Germany /1976
Gil Vicente / Brasil / Brasil / 1958
Graziela Kunsch / Brasil / Brasil /1979
Gustav Metzger / Germany / England / 1926
Guy de Cointet / France / 1934 – 1983
Guy Veloso / Brasil / Brasil / 1969
Harun Farocki / Germany / Germany / 1944
Hélio Oiticica / Brasil / 1937 - 1980
Henrique Oliveira / Brasil / Brasil / 1973
High Red Center / Japan
Isa Genzken / Germany / Germany / 1948
Jacobo Borges / Venezuela / Venezuela and USA / 1931
James Coleman / Ireland / Ireland / 1941
Jean Luc Godard / France / 1930
Jeremy Deller / England / England / 1966
Jimmie Durham / USA / Italy / 1940
Joachim Koester / Denmark / USA / 1962
Jonas Mekas / Lithuania / Lithuania / 1922
Jonathas de Andrade / Brasil / Brasil
José Antonio Vega Macotela / Mexico / Mexico / 1980
José Leonilson / Brasil / 1957 - 1993
José Spaniol / Brasil / Brasil / 1960
Joseph Kosuth / USA / USA / 1945
83. Juliana Stein / Brasil / Brasil / 1970
84. Julie Ault and Martin Beck / USA and Austria / USA / 1957 and 1963
85. Karina Skvirsky Aguilera / USA / USA / 1967
86. Kboco e Roberto Loeb / Brasil / Brasil / 1978 and 1941
87. Kendell Geers / South Africa / Belgium / 1968
88. Kiluanji Kia Henda / Angola / Angola / 1979
89. Kimathi Donkor / England / 1965
90. Kutlug Ataman / Turkey / England / 1961
91. Livio Tragtenberg / Brasil / Brasil
92. Luiz Zerbini / Brasil / Brasil / 1959
93. Lygia Pape / Brasil / Brasil / 1927 - 2004
94. Manfred Pernice / Germany / Germany / 1963
95. Manon de Boer / India / Belgium and Netherlands / 1966
96. Marcelo Silveira / Brasil / Brasil / 1962
97. Marcius Galan / Brasil / 1972
98. Maria Lusitano Santos / Portugal / 1971
99. Maria Thereza Alves / Brasil / Germany / 1961
100. Marilá Dardot and Fábio Morais / Brasil / Brasil / 1973 and 1975
101. Mário Garcia Torres / Mexico / Mexico / 1975
102. Marta Minujin / Argentina / Argentina / 1943
103. Mateo López / Colombia / Colombia / 1978
104. Matheus Rocha Pitta / Brasil / Brasil / 1980
105. Miguel Angel Rojas / Colombia / Colombia / 1946
106. Miguel Rio Branco / Spain / Brasil / 1946
107. Milton Machado / Brasil / Brasil / 1947
108. Mira Schendel / Switzerland / 1919 -1988
109. Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian / Iran / 1924
110. Moshekwa Langa / South Africa / Netherlands / 1975
111. Nástio Mosquito e Bofa da Cara / Angola / 1981
112. Nan Goldin / USA / USA and France / 1953
113. Nancy Spero / USA / 1926 - 2009
114. Nelson Leirner / Brasil / Brasil / 1932
115. Nnenna Okore / Nigeria / 1975
116. NS Harsha / India / India / 1969
117. Nuno Ramos / Brasil / Brasil / 1960
118. Oscar Bony / Argentina / 1941-2002
119. Oswaldo Goeldi / Brasil / 1895 –1961
120. Otobong Nkanga / Nigeria / France and Belgium / 1974
121. Otolith Group / England / England / 2000
122. Palle Nielsen / Denmark / Denmark / 1942
123. Paulo Bruscky / Brasil / Brasil / 1949
124. Pedro Barateiro / Portugal / Portugal / 1979
125. Pedro Costa / Portugal / Portugal / 1959
126. Pixação SP / Brasil / Brasil
127. Qiu Anxiong China / China / 1972
128. Raqs Media Colective / India / India / 1992
129. Rex Time / Brasil / Brasil / 1966
130. Roberto Jacoby / Argentina / Argentina / 1944
131. Rochelle Costi / Brasil / Brasil / 1961
132. Rodrigo Andrade / Brasil / Brasil / 1962
133. Ronald Duarte / Brasil / Brasil / 1963
134. Rosangela Rennó / Brasil / Brasil / 1962
135. Runa Islam / Bangladesh / England /1970
136. Samuel Beckett / Ireland/ 1906 - 1989
137. Sandra Gamarra / Peru / Spain / 1972
138. Sara Ramo / Spain / Brasil / 1975
139. Simon Fujiwara / England / Germany / 1982
140. Sophie Ristelhueber / France / France / 1949
141. Steve McQueen / England / England and Netherlands / 1969
142. Sue Tompkins / England / Scotland / 1971
143. Superstudio / Italy / 1966
144. Susan Philipsz / Scotland / Germany / 1965
145. Tacita Dean / England / Germany / 1965
146. Tamar Guimarães / Brasil / Denmark
147. Tatiana Blass / Brasil / Brasil / 1979
148. Tatiana Trouvé / Italy / France / 1968
149. Tobias Putrih / Slovenia / USA / 1972
150. Tucuman Arde / Argentina
151. UNStudio / Netherlands / 1998
152. Wendelien van Oldenborgh / Netherlands / Netherlands / 1962
153. Wilfredo Prieto / Cuba / Spain / 1978
154. Yael Bartana / Israel / Israel and Netherlands / 1970
155. Yoel Vazquez / Cuba / Germany / 1973
156. Yonamine/ Angola / 1975
157. Yto Barrada / France / Morroco / 1971
158. Zanele Muholi / South Africa / South Africa / 1972
159. Zarina Bimhji / Uganda / 1963