The Bienal de São Paulo has named the 120 artists who will be included in the upcoming 2025 edition, which will open on September 6 at the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion.
Taking the title “Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice,” the exhibition is “founded on active listening to humanity as a practice of constant displacement, encounter, and negotiation,” according to a press release. The Bienal’s curatorial team, led by Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, were inspired by bird migration patterns for selecting the participating artists. These include the red-tailed hawk across the Americas, the ruff between Central Asia and North Africa, and the Arctic tern’s polar routes.
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“This methodological process helped us avoid classifications based on nation-states and borders,” Ndikung said in a statement. “By studying birds’ navigation skills, their impulse to migrate across land and water, their survival instincts, their expanded sense of space and time, and their urgency and agency, we were able to engage with artistic practices in different geographic regions while reflecting on the meaning of bringing humanity together in the context of the 36th Bienal de São Paulo.”
Among the most high-profile names included in the exhibition are Isa Genzken, Firelei Báez, Wolfgang Tillmans, Forensic Architecture, Frank Bowling, Korakrit Arunanondchai, Laure Prouvost, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Meriem Bennani, Nari Ward, Olu Oguibe, Oscar Murillo, Otobong Nkanga, Precious Okoyomon, Raven Chacon, Sharon Hayes, and Cynthia Hawkins.
There are 19 artists currently based in Brazil, and they include Aislan Pankararu, Maxwell Alexandre, Antonio Társis, Juliana dos Santos, and the collective Vilanismo. The artist list also includes 20 deceased artists, including Bertina Lopes, Ernest Cole, Ernest Mancoba, Heitor dos Prazeres, Huguette Caland, Hamid Zénati, and Mohamed Melehi.
Rivers—like the Amazon, the Thames, the Hudson, and the Limpopo—also served as another touchstone in selecting the participants as a way to map their origins and the routes they have taken in their careers.
“Water is fundamental to human existence and the basis of life,” Ndikung’s statement continues. “Despite humanity’s efforts to control the flow of water and the migration of birds, all waters are connected, and birds still migrate without passports or visas. Humans could be better if they learned from other beings.”
The full artist list follows below.
Adama Delphine Fawundu
b. New York, 1971. Lives in New York.
Adjani Okpu-Egbe
b. Kumba, 1979. Lives in London.
Aislan Pankararu
b. Petrolândia, 1990. Lives in São Paulo.
Akinbode Akinbiyi
b. Oxford, 1946. Lives in Berlin.
Alain Padeau
b. Saint-Denis, Réunion, 1956. Lives in Le Tampon, Réunion.
Alberto Pitta
b. Salvador, 1961. Lives in Salvador.
Aline Baiana
b. Salvador, 1985. Lives between Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and Berlin.
Amina Agueznay
b. Casablanca, 1963. Lives and works in Marrakech and Casablanca.
Ana Raylander Mártis dos Anjos
b. 1995. Lives in São Paulo.
Andrew Roberts
b. Tijuana, 1995. Lives in Mexico City.
Antonio Társis
b. Salvador, 1995. Lives and works between Salvador and London.
Behjat Sadr
b. Arak, 1924 – d. Corsica, 2009.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Berenice Olmedo
b. Oaxaca, 1987. Lives in Mexico City.
Bertina Lopes
b. Maputo, 1924 – d. Rome, 2012.
Camille Turner
b. Kingston, 1960. Lives in Los Angeles.
Carla Gueye
b. 1997. Lives and works in Paris.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Cevdet Erek
b. Istanbul, 1974. Lives and works in Istanbul.
Chaïbia Talal
b. Chtouka, 1929 – Casablanca, 2004.
Christopher Cozier
b. Port of Spain, 1959. Lives in Port of Spain.
Cici Wu
b. Beijing, 1989. Lives and works in New York.
Cynthia Hawkins
b. New York, 1950. Lives and works in Poughkeepsie.
Edival Ramosa
b. São Gonçalo, 1940 – d. Niterói, 2015.
Emeka Ogboh
b. Enugu, Nigeria, 1977. Lives in Berlin.
Ernest Cole
b. Eersterust, 1940 – d. New York City, 1990.
Ernest Mancoba
b. Turffontein, 1904 – d. Clamart, 2002.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Farid Belkahia
b. Marrakech, 1934 – d. 2014.
Firelei Báez
b. Santiago de los Caballeros, 1981. Lives in New York.
Forensic Architecture
Founded in 2010, London.
Forugh Farrokhzad
b. Tehran, 1934 – d. 1967.
Frank Bowling
b. Bartica, 1934. Lives and works in London.
Frankétienne
b. Ravine-Sèche, April 12, 1936 – d. Delmas, 2025.
Gê Viana
b. Santa Luzia, 1986. Lives and works in São Luís.
Gervane de Paula
b. Cuiabá, 1961. Lives and works in Cuiabá.
Gōzō Yoshimasu
b. Tokyo, 1939. Lives and works in Tokyo.
This participation is supported by the National Center for Art Research, Japan.
Hajra Waheed
b. 1980. Lives in Montreal and Jogja.
Hamedine Kane
b. Nouakchott, 1983. Lives in Brussels, Paris, and Dakar.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Hamid Zénati
b. Constantine, 1944 – d. Munich, 2022.
Hao Jingban
b. Taiyuan, 1985. Lives in Beijing.
Heitor dos Prazeres
b. Rio de Janeiro, 1898 – d. 1966.
Helena Uambembe
b. Pomfret, 1994.
Hessie (Carmen Lydia Đurić)
b. Spanish Town, 1933 – d. Pontoise, 2017.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Huguette Caland
b. Beirut, 1931–2019.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih (Murni)
b. Tabanan, 1966 – d. Ubud, Indonesia, 2006.
Imran Mir
b. Karachi, 1950 – d. 2014
Isa Genzken
b. Bad Oldesloe, 1948. Lives and works in Berlin.
Joar Nango with the Girjegumpi crew
b. Alta, 1979. Lives and works in Tromso.
This participation is supported by the Office for Contemporary Art Norway.
Josèfa Ntjam
b. Metz, 1992. Lives in Saint-Étienne.
Juliana dos Santos
b. São Paulo, 1987. Lives in São Paulo.
Julianknxx
b. Freetown, 1987. Lives in London.
Kader Attia
b. Dugny, 1970. Lives in Berlin.
Kamala Ibrahim Ishag
b. Omdurman, 1939. Lives in Sharjah.
Kenzi Shiokava
b. São Paulo, 1938 – Los Angeles, 2021.
This participation is supported by the National Center for Art Research, Japan.
Korakrit Arunanondchai
b. Bangkok, 1986. Lives in New York and Bangkok.
Laila Hida
b. Casablanca. Lives in Marrakech.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Laure Prouvost
b. Lille, 1978. Lives in Brussels.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Leiko Ikemura
b. Tsu, Japão, 1951. Lives in Cologne and Berlin.
Leila Alaoui
b. Paris, 1982 – d. Ouagadougou, 2016.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Leo Asemota
b. Benin City. Lives in London.
Leonel Vásquez
b. Sibaté, 1981. Lives in Bogotá.
Lidia Lisbôa
b. Terra Roxa, 1970. Lives in São Paulo.
Lynn Hershman Leeson
b. Cleveland, 1941. Lives in San Francisco and New York.
Madame Zo
b. Antananarivo, 1960– d. 2020.
Madiha Umar
b. Aleppo, 1908 – d. Amman, 2005.
Malika Agueznay
b. Marrakech, 1938. Lives in Casablanca.
Manauara Clandestina
b. Manaus. Lives in São Paulo.
Mansour Ciss Kanakassy
b. Dakar, 1957. Lives in Dakar and Berlin.
Mao Ishikawa
b. Ógimi, 1953. Lives in Tomigusuku.
This participation is supported by the National Center for Art Research, Japan.
Márcia Falcão
b. Rio de Janeiro, 1985. Lives in Rio de Janeiro.
Maria Auxiliadora
b. Campo Belo, 1935 – d. São Paulo, 1974.
María Magdalena Campos-Pons
b. Matanzas, 1959. Lives in Nashville.
Marlene Almeida
b. Bananeiras, 1942. Lives in João Pessoa.
Maxwell Alexandre
b. Rio de Janeiro, 1990. Lives in Rio de Janeiro.
Meriem Bennani
Lives in New York.
Metta Pracrutti
Founded in 2025, Mumbai.
Michele Ciacciofera
b. Nuoro, 1969. Lives in Paris.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Ming Smith
b. Detroit. Lives in New York.
Minia Biabiany
b. Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, 1988. Lives in Saint-Claude.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Moffat Takadiwa
b. Hurungwe, 1983. Lives in Harare.
Mohamed Melehi
b. Asilah, 1936 – d. Paris, 2020.
Moisés Patrício
b. São Paulo, 1984. Lives in São Paulo.
Myriam Omar Awadi
b. Paris, 1983. Lives in Le Tampon, Réunion.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Myrlande Constant
b. Port-au-Prince, 1968. Lives in Port-au-Prince.
Nádia Taquary
b. Salvador, 1967. Lives in Salvador.
Nari Ward
Nguyễn Trinh Thi
b. Hanoi, 1973. Lives in Hanoi.
Noor Abed
b. Jerusalem, 1988. Lives between Ramallah and Amsterdam.
Nzante Spee
b. Mbem, 1953 – d. Stockton, 2005.
Olivier Marboeuf
b. Antony, 1971. Lives in Rennes and Paris.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Olu Oguibe
Oscar Murillo
b. La Paila, 1986. Lives in London.
Otobong Nkanga
b. Kano, 1974. Lives and works in Antwerp.
Pélagie Gbaguidi
b. Dakar, 1965. Lives and works in Brussels.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Pol Taburet
b. Paris, 1997. Lives and works in Paris.
This participation is supported by Institut français within its IF Incontournable program.
Precious Okoyomon
b. London, 1993. Lives in New York.
Raukura Turei
b. Aotearoa, 1987. Lives in Aotearoa.
Raven Chacon with Iggor Cavalera & Laima Leyton
b. Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation, 1977. Lives in New York.
b. Belo Horizonte, 1970. Lives in London.
b. São Paulo, 1977. Lives in London.
Rebeca Carapiá
b. Salvador, 1988.
Richianny Ratovo
b. Antananarivo, Madagascar, 1995. Lives in Antananarivo.
Ruth Ige
b. Nigeria, 1992. Lives in Auckland.
Sadikou Oukpedjo
b. Kétao, 1975. Lives and works in Abidjan.
Sallisa Rosa
b. Goiânia, 1986. Lives and works in Rio de Janeiro.
Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide)
b. Busan, 1977. Lives in Berlin.
Sérgio Soarez
b. Salvador, 1968. Lives in Salvador.
Sertão Negro
Founded in 2021, Goiânia.
Sharon Hayes
b. Baltimore, 1970. Lives in Philadelphia.
Shuvinai Ashoona
b. Kinngait, 1961. Lives and works in Kinngait.
Simnikiwe Buhlungu
b. Johannesburg, 1995. Lives in Johannesburg and Amsterdam.
Song Dong
b. Beijing, 1966. Lives and works in Beijing.
Suchitra Mattai
b. Georgetown, 1973. Lives and works in Los Angeles.
Tanka Fonta
b. Buea, 1966. Lives in Berlin.
Thania Petersen
b. Cape Town, 1980. Lives and works in Cape Town.
Theo Eshetu
b. London. Lives between Berlin, and Rome.
Théodore Diouf
b. Djigod, 1949. Lives in Zurich.
Theresah Ankomah
b. Accra. Lives and works in Accra.
Trương Công Tùng
b. Daklak, 1986. Lives in Ho Chi Minh City.
This participation is supported by Tanoto.
Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn
b. Saigon, 1976. Lives in Ho Chi Minh City and Irvine.
Vilanismo
Founded in 2021, São Paulo.
Werewere Liking
b. Ngombas Bondé, 1950. Lives in Abidjan.
Wolfgang Tillmans
b. Remscheid, 1968. Lives in Berlin and London.
Zózimo Bulbul
b. Rio de Janeiro, 1937 – d. 2013.
At Casa do Povo
Alexandre Paulikevitch
b. Beirute, 1982.
Boxe Autônomo
Founded in 2015, São Paulo.
Dorothée Munyaneza
b. Kigali, 1982.
Marcelo Evelin
b. Teresina, 1962.
MEXA
Founded in 2015, São Paulo.
