36th Bienal de São Paulo – Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice

Dates: September 6, 2025 – January 11, 2026 (extended period)
Location: Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo
Admission: Free Bienal de São Paulo36ª Bienal de São PauloZarastro Art

Curatorial Concept

• Chief Curator: Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, with co-curators Alya Sebti, Anna Roberta Goetz, Thiago de Paula Souza, co-curator-at-large Keyna Eleison, and communications strategist Henriette Gallus Bienal de São Paulo36ª Bienal de São PauloContemporary And.
• Inspired by the poem Da calma e do silêncio (“Of Calm and Silence”) by Afro-Brazilian poet Conceição Evaristo.
• Uses the metaphor of an estuary, where different currents meet, to frame notions of coexistence, listening, and negotiation between diverse worlds.
• Rejects nation-based categorizations by modeling curatorial selection on bird migration patterns—highlighting fluidity, displacement, and interconnectedness Bienal de São PauloZarastro ArtArtsy36ª Bienal de São Paulo.
• The exhibition architecture, designed by Gisele de Paula and Tiago Guimarães, evokes a sensory landscape with sinuous pathways—encouraging reflection and encounter 36ª Bienal de São Paulo.

Participating Artists

The Bienal features approximately 120 artists and collectives from diverse cultural and geographic backgrounds. Selected names include:

Notable participating artists:

• Firelei Báez
• Frank Bowling
• Precious Okoyomon
• Song Dong
• Laure Prouvost
• Wolfgang Tillmans
• Forensic Architecture
• Isa Genzken
• Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons
• Heitor dos Prazeres
• Aislan Pankararu
• Nari Ward
• Kamala Ibrahim Ishag
  …and many more e-fluxZarastro ArtArtDependenceGQ BrasilArtsy.

This edition centers on urgent global themes—ecologies, oral traditions, community practices, and non-Western cosmologies—presented through a variety of media, including performance, video, painting, writing, sound, and collaborative forms 36ª Bienal de São PauloZarastro Art.

Perfect ✨ — I can prepare a visual breakdown / highlights feature of the 36th Bienal de São Paulo (2025) so you can use it for your magazine.

I can structure it like this:

1. Bienal Overview

(Concept, curatorial approach, estuary metaphor, free entry, dates, etc.)

2. Highlights by Artist

• Latin America: Firelei Báez, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Heitor dos Prazeres, Aislan Pankararu…
• Africa & Diaspora: Kamala Ibrahim Ishag, Precious Okoyomon…
• Europe: Frank Bowling, Laure Prouvost, Wolfgang Tillmans, Isa Genzken…
• Asia: Song Dong, collectives…
• Transdisciplinary / Research-based: Forensic Architecture…

3. Key Themes

• Ecology & planetary urgencies
• Oral traditions & ancestral knowledge
• Migration & displacement
• Community-based practices
• Ritual, storytelling, and spirituality

4. Why It Matters

How the Bienal repositions Brazil and Latin America in global contemporary art dialogue.

In its 36th edition, the Bienal de São Paulo adopts a migratory curatorial model inspired by bird migration, bypassing national borders to weave together artistic practices from across the globe. Curated by Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, alongside Alya Sebti, Anna Roberta Goetz, Thiago de Paula Souza, Keyna Eleison, and Henriette Gallus, the Bienal incorporates themes of displacement, coexistence, and cultural fluidity, drawing inspiration from Conceição Evaristo’s poem “Da calma e do silêncio” Bienal de São PauloArtsy.

Highlights by Region & Notable Artists

• Latin America: Firelei Báez (Dominican), María Magdalena Campos-Pons (Cuban-American), Heitor dos Prazeres (Brazilian), Aislan Pankararu (Indigenous Brazilian) Newcity BrasilBienal de São Paulo
• Africa & Diaspora: Precious Okoyomon (Nigerian-American), Kamala Ibrahim Ishag (Sudanese) Newcity BrasilBienal de São Paulo
• Europe: Frank Bowling (British-Guyanese), Laure Prouvost (French), Isa Genzken (German), Wolfgang Tillmans (German) Bienal de São PauloNewcity Brasil
• Asia & Transnational: Song Dong (Chinese), Forensic Architecture (UK-based research collective) Bienal de São PauloNewcity Brasil

Key Themes

• Environmental urgency & ecologies
• Oral traditions & ancestral knowledge
• Migration, identity & diaspora
• Community practices & spiritual cosmologies Bienal de São PauloContemporary And

This Bienal stands as a dynamic platform that reshapes how contemporary art grapples with global interconnection—highlighting stories of movement, memory, and shared humanity. Artists from diverse geographies and backgrounds converge here, inviting new dialogues and reimagining art’s place in a rapidly shifting world.

Showcasing your work during Miami Art Week and Art Basel Miami Beach can be an exciting opportunity. Here are some strategies to effectively present your art:

1. Apply to Exhibitions

• Art Basel Applications: Keep an eye on the application process for galleries and exhibitions associated with Art Basel.
• Satellite Fairs: Explore smaller satellite fairs like Scope, Pulse, or NADA, which can be more accessible for emerging artists.

2. Collaborate with Galleries

• Partner with local or international galleries to display your work. Establish relationships with galleries that align with your style.

3. Host a Pop-Up Exhibition

• Organize a pop-up show in a unique venue. Consider collaborating with local businesses or artists to attract more visitors.

4. Utilize Social Media

• Promote your participation through platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Use hashtags like #ArtBasel and #MiamiArtWeek to reach a wider audience.

5. Create an Online Portfolio

• Ensure your website is updated with your latest works, artist statement, and contact information. Include a dedicated section for Miami Art Week.

6. Engage with Art Communities

• Attend pre-events and networking sessions. Engage with other artists, curators, and collectors to build connections.

7. Organize an Artist Talk or Workshop

• Hosting a talk or workshop can draw attention to your work and provide an interactive experience for visitors.

8. Leverage Press and Media

• Send press releases to local art publications and blogs to gain media coverage. Consider inviting journalists to your events.

9. Create a Unique Experience

• Think about how to make your exhibit stand out. This could involve interactive elements, performances, or immersive installations.

10. Network with Influencers and Collectors

• Reach out to art influencers and collectors who might be interested in your work. Personal invitations can help create buzz.

Final Tips

• Plan Ahead: Start your preparations well in advance to ensure everything is in place.
• Budget Wisely: Consider the costs of materials, venue rental, marketing, and shipping.
• Stay Authentic: Showcase work that reflects your true artistic voice.

By combining these strategies, you can maximize your visibility during one of the world’s most prestigious art events. Good luck!

Alma Thomas: Color, Light, and the Joy of Being

Alma Thomas, a groundbreaking American artist whose work continues to resonate with power, joy, and innovation:

In the often-serious world of 20th-century modernism, Alma Thomas offered something radically simple: joy.

Her paintings burst with luminous color and rhythmic energy, vibrating with a sense of optimism that was as much spiritual as it was aesthetic. But beyond her dazzling canvases, Thomas’s story is one of quiet revolution—a Black woman, a teacher, and an artist who defied both racial and gender boundaries, and who came into her own not in youth, but in the so-called “twilight” of life.

In doing so, she redefined what it means to be a modern artist—and left a legacy that is still shaping contemporary conversations around abstraction, identity, and resilience.

Early Life: Foundations in Education and Nature

Born in 1891 in Columbus, Georgia, and later moving with her family to Washington, D.C. to escape racial violence, Alma Thomas grew up in a world where Black artistic visibility was almost nonexistent. And yet, her curiosity and creativity were never stifled.

She attended Howard University, where in 1924 she became the first graduate of its newly established fine arts program. She later earned a Master’s degree in art education from Columbia University, all while teaching art at Shaw Junior High School in Washington for over 35 years.

Her long teaching career wasn’t a detour from her art—it was a practice in itself, rooted in nurturing beauty, discipline, and imagination in generations of Black students.

Nature played a deep role in her artistic sensibility. She often described the way light filtered through trees, how leaves danced in the breeze—natural patterns that would later become the very structure of her iconic style.

The Blossoming of an Artist—Later in Life

Remarkably, Thomas didn’t fully dedicate herself to painting until after retiring from teaching at age 69. Most artists are introduced in youth; Alma Thomas arrived with age, wisdom, and purpose.

It was in this later period of life that she developed her signature visual language: radiant, mosaic-like abstractions made of dabs and dashes of color, arranged in rows, spirals, or circles. Her palette was bright and affirming, rejecting the dark emotional tones often associated with high modernism.

She drew inspiration from nature, space exploration, and even music, translating those experiences into color fields that feel like visual meditations on life itself.

Abstraction, Space, and Spirit

Thomas was deeply inspired by NASA and the Space Race of the 1960s. Works like “Starry Night and the Astronauts” (1972) and “Apollo 12 ‘Splash Down’” show how she fused cosmic themes with earthly joy, proving that abstraction can be deeply rooted in both science and spirit.

And though her work was not overtly political, her very existence as a Black female abstractionist in a predominantly white, male art world was a quiet act of rebellion—a refusal to be categorized or diminished.

Her art transcends identity politics but never denies identity. She claimed her space not through confrontation, but through mastery—offering a language of light and harmony that invites everyone in.

Breaking Barriers

In 1972, at age 81, Alma Thomas became the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. That same year, her work was included in the White House collection—a distinction few artists of any background receive.

In a segregated America still struggling to recognize the genius of Black creatives, Thomas’s achievements were extraordinary. But she never allowed recognition to dilute her devotion to the work. For her, painting was a form of prayer, a celebration of life’s beauty—even amidst its harshness.

“Creative art is for all time and is therefore independent of time. It is of all ages, of every land, and if by this we mean that the creative spirit in man is universal, no one kind of art is more valid than another.”

—Alma Thomas

A Lasting Legacy

Alma Thomas passed away in 1978, but her influence continues to grow. In the 21st century, her work has experienced a powerful resurgence, featured in major museum retrospectives and prominent collections.

Artists such as Julie Mehretu, Mickalene Thomas, and Howardena Pindell draw inspiration from Thomas’s defiance of categorization and her commitment to abstraction as a language of possibility.

More than just a painter, Alma Thomas reminds us that it’s never too late to claim your calling—and that even in a fractured world, color, light, and harmony can still be radical.

Final Thoughts

Alma Thomas didn’t chase trends. She didn’t paint her pain for public consumption. She offered something else: a vision of beauty as resistance, of age as emergence, of color as a universal language.

Her work stands as a testament to the enduring power of art to uplift, to transform, and to affirm life. In every brushstroke, Alma Thomas gave us permission to look up, to look inward, and to find joy—not in perfection, but in the rhythm of becoming.