THE 14TH MERCOSUR BIENNIAL: A CELEBRATION OF ARTISTIC DIVERSITY

With the concept of "Estalo" (Snap) as its central theme, the Mercosur Biennial is set to open on March 27, 2025, expanding across 18 different institutions in Porto Alegre, some of which are participating in the Biennial’s program for the first time. The curatorial concept of the exhibition primarily aims to explore the notion of transformation. In the snap of a finger and a brief moment in time, our bodies and nature, for example, undergo transformations of various magnitudes.

The artistic team, led by chief curator Raphael Fonseca, has designed an exhibition program and activities that bring a vast diversity of works, interests, and worldviews to Porto Alegre, as reflected by the artists involved. These artistic projects mirror their geographical and cultural contexts, spanning from abstraction to more documentary-driven approaches. This zigzag of different artistic investigations is what defines this edition of the Biennial.

The 14th Mercosur Biennial aims to reach a broader and more diverse audience, with a strong commitment to mediating art for both local and global audiences. This is also evident in the list of participating artists, which includes a significant presence of representatives from Latin America and Asia. Of the 76 artists featured, around 65% are international, and most of the works have been commissioned by the Biennial.

In addition to being presented at institutions with a historical connection to the Biennial—such as Farol Santander, the Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul (MARGS), and Usina do Gasômetro—this edition extends to other areas of the city, including the neighborhoods of Lomba do Pinheiro and Restinga, as well as units of Estação Cidadania. Moreover, for the first time, the Biennial will be present at Cinemateca Capitólio, Pop Center, Museu do Hip Hop, and Fundação Vera Chaves Barcellos in Viamão. This expansion is expected to reach new audiences in the Greater Porto Alegre region.

Some of the artists participating in the Biennial

Claudia Alarcón (Argentina, 1989) is an artist and artisan of the Wichí people. She is one of the coordinators of the Silät group, which brings together Indigenous weavers from Santa Victoria Este. In her work, she weaves images that are part of her people's collective memory and imagination, blending worlds and times. She has exhibited in Argentina, Germany, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, the United States, and Portugal. She received the First Prize in the Textile Discipline at the 110th National Visual Arts Salon at the Palais de Glace. Together with Silät, she is one of the artists at the 60th Venice Biennale. She lives in Salta, Argentina.

Freddy Mamani (Aymara/Bolivia, 1971) is a builder, civil engineer, and architect. His work is recognized as the New Andean Architecture. Mamani is renowned for his vibrant and colorful buildings, particularly in El Alto, a city near La Paz, Bolivia, where he has designed over a hundred structures that have become a source of national pride. His unconventional buildings integrate a diverse range of aesthetics, including modern Western architecture, Latin American and Chinese Baroque, Andean and folkloric influences, as well as elements of futurism, anime, and science fiction. His work has been exhibited at the Fondation Cartier in Paris, MoMA, and the Sydney Biennale. He lives in El Alto, Bolivia.

Julia Isídrez (Paraguay, 1967) learned to work with clay from her mother, Juana Marta Rodas (1925–2013). Together, they honored a centuries-old tradition dating back to the pre-Columbian era in Paraguay, following the techniques of their Guaraní ancestors. Her work is created in collaboration with family members and partners at the Casa Museo Arte, where she teaches and produces her pieces. She has exhibited in solo and group shows at institutions such as the 60th Venice Biennale, Museo del Barro, the 2nd Mercosur Biennial, the Santiago Triennial, and dOCUMENTA 13. Her works are part of the collections of the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, the Denver Art Museum, and Museo del Barro. She was also part of the third edition of Pinta Sud (now Pinta Paraguay). She lives in Itá, Paraguay.

Santiago Yahuarcani (Cocama/Uitoto/Peru, 1960) is a visual artist and leader of the Uitoto people. His work revolves around Amazonian ontologies and the politics of genocide against Amazonian communities. His paintings exhibit great compositional freedom and respond in various ways to his social context. His pieces are often created on the surface of "llanchama," the bark of a fig tree. He participated in the 60th Venice Biennale. His work is part of the collections of the Lima Museum of Art and MoMA, and has been shown in institutions across Latin America, the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has also participated in the tenth edition of Pinta PArC (now Pinta Lima) in the Amazon section. He lives in Pebas, Peru.

Zé Carlos Garcia (Brazil, 1973) is a visual artist. He studied sculpture at the School of Fine Arts of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and attended the Visual Arts School at Parque Lage. Garcia's sculptures combine limbs of different species or mix feathers with wooden furniture parts, creating hybrids that retain the meanings of their components while also sparking curiosity about their nature. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Brazil and Europe. His pieces are part of the collections of Instituto Inhotim, the Museum of Art of Rio, and the Marcos Amaro Foundation. He lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

*Cover image: View of the exhibition Cascarón, by Wiki Pirela, at Galería Patricia Ready, Santiago, 2023. Photo: Jimena Carolina