On October 24th, the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo announced the theme for its 36th edition, titled “Not All Travellers Walk Roads–Of Humanity as Practice.” The biennial, which takes its title from the poem Da calma e do silêncio(Of calm and silence) by Afrobrazilian poet Conceição Evaristo, will examine how humans understand and engage with each other. The 2025 Bienal de São Paulo will take place from September 6, 2025, to January 11, 2026, at the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion.
Chief curator Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, who was appointed to lead this edition of the biennial in April, has formed a diverse team to bring this concept to life. The co-curators are Alya Sebti, Anna Roberta Goetz, and Thiago de Paula Souza, working alongside co-curator-at-large Keyna Eleison and communication advisor Henriette Gallus.
Ndikung and his team plan to create a space where different world views can coexist. “In a time when humans seem to have, again, lost grip on what it means to be human…it seems to us urgent to invite artists, scholars, activists, and other cultural practitioners anchored within a wide range of disciplines to join us in rethinking what humanity could mean,” Ndikung said.
The event is centered around three main themes: rethinking the dynamics of space and time, fostering a reflective view of oneself through the perspective of others, and nurturing spaces for meetings and dialogue.
Traditionally held from September to December, this new edition of the Bienal de São Paulo will be extended by four weeks. This change ensures that the exhibition coincides with the Brazilian school holidays. Additionally, the Biennial will be on view free of charge for its entire duration.
“This project not only reaffirms the Biennial’s role as a space for reflection and dialogue on the most pressing issues of our time but also demonstrates the institutional commitment of the Fundação to promoting artistic practices in a way that is accessible and relevant to diverse audiences,” said Andrea Pinheiro, president of the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo.
