A 16th Curitiba International Biennial The exhibition returns to an in-person format at a time marked by profound technological, social, and environmental transformations. Under the concept of THRESHOLDS, curators Adriana Almada and Tereza de Arruda propose a reflection on the transition zones traversing the contemporary world and new ways of thinking about and creating art.
In interview with ARTE!BrasileirosThey discuss the conceptual challenges and unique aspects of a biennial that seeks to broaden its horizons without losing its connection to the territory that hosts it.
ARTE!Brasileiros – After the online edition of 2021, what curatorial and institutional challenges arise in this return to the in-person model?
Adriana Almada – A multi-year interruption always represents a significant challenge, both for the institution and for the teams, who need to reorganize and regain momentum. It was also a challenge for the curatorial team, since the last five years have seen major changes in the world, particularly in the field of new technologies and artificial intelligence.
This has reshaped geopolitical, social, and economic relations, as well as forms of cultural exchange. To conceive a Biennial One of the central premises of this edition was that it engages with its time and questions new forms of coexistence on a planet at risk.
Teresa de Arruda – In its 2021 online edition, the Curitiba Biennial was forced to devise new forms of digital mediation and circulation, expanding the event's reach, but also realizing the limitations of the virtual experience in the face of the power of in-person encounters with the artworks, artists, and exhibition spaces.
The current challenge lies in integrating the lessons learned in the digital environment without losing the human, spatial, and affective dimension of the in-person exhibition. Institutionally, this means strengthening international networks, expanding educational programs, and developing hybrid formats that engage with diverse audiences. Curatorially, the return to in-person exhibitions requires considering the relationship between body, space, architecture, and experience, especially in a historical moment marked by profound social, political, and technological transformations.
A!B – The concept of “THRESHOLDS” proposes inhabiting zones of transition and uncertainty. How will this concept be concretely translated into the selection of artists and works for the 16th Biennial?
AA - The selection sought works that express this transitional condition, both in their themes and in their language. These are works that operate in areas where nature and technology, body and algorithm, memory and simulation, presence and virtuality intersect.
Although artificial intelligence and virtual reality are strongly present, there is also a significant material presence. This edition also incorporates non-Western perspectives and cosmologies historically excluded from dominant technological narratives. The idea was to create a flow of works that mutually influence each other, producing connections and shifts in meaning.
TA - “LIMIARES” (Thresholds) stems from the idea of borders as spaces of transformation, displacement, and possibility. This concept translates into a selection of artists whose practices address states of transition, cultural tensions, hybrid identities, processes of metamorphosis, and forms of coexistence between different realities.
The Biennial will bring together works that move between materials, languages, and disciplines, investigating relationships between nature and technology, memory and the future, ancestry and innovation. The threshold also appears as a space of instability and questioning, where fixed categories cease to exist.
A!B – How does the curatorial approach intend to balance reflections on technology and innovation with contemporary human, social, and political issues?
AA - The fact is that technology has a direct impact on bodies and is part of the construction of subjectivities, thus affecting social relations and forms of coexistence. In this sense, the Biennial does not present a celebratory view of technology, but neither does it present a dystopian perspective.
The curatorial approach proposes a critical space for reflection on how technological transformations are redefining the human experience and highlights other forms of communication and exchange, revisiting analog practices. In the face of the increasing virtualization of life, there are works that address issues related to affection, care, sensitivity, and the relationships between living beings and their environments, as well as various territorial, social, and political problems.
TA Technology will not be presented as an end in itself, but as part of the transformations that are taking place in contemporary life. The curatorial team seeks to understand how technological advancements impact subjectivities, social relations, ecologies, and power structures.
Alongside works that utilize artificial intelligence, immersive reality, and digital languages, there will be works that address migration, inequality, belonging, the climate crisis, collective memory, and human rights. The Biennial's interest lies precisely in creating dialogues between innovation and human experience, avoiding purely futuristic or technocratic visions.
A!B – The proposal mentions “new ways of coexistence.” What social and environmental debates does the Biennial consider urgent in this context?
AA – The concept of the Biennial, “Thresholds,” stems from the question of coexistence in a world in transition, affected by an unprecedented ecological and environmental crisis. Global warming, biodiversity loss, pollution, deforestation, the state of the seas and waterways, melting glaciers, droughts, extractive industries, and uncontrolled urban growth are themes that, in one way or another, are addressed by the artists.
On the other hand, the impact of new technologies on social and personal life, as well as the financial structures that support them, is also being debated: the expansion of artificial intelligence, surveillance systems, automation, and the massive use of data (big data).
TA The Biennial considers it urgent to reflect on more sustainable, inclusive, and ethical forms of coexistence. This involves debates on the climate emergency, environmental preservation, social justice, cultural diversity, indigenous rights, migratory displacements, and the impacts of technologies on daily life.
also We are interested in discussing the need to rebuild collective bonds in a global scenario marked by polarization, conflict, and social isolation. Contemporary art has the capacity to imagine other possibilities for coexistence and to produce spaces for listening, empathy, and exchange.
A!B – In a global scenario of proliferating biennials, what differentiates the Curitiba International Biennial in the international contemporary art circuit?
AA Contemporary reality is so complex that the existence of numerous biennials around the world represents an opportunity to highlight truly relevant issues. This edition adds to the global debate on new forms of interaction in the digital age, where the boundaries between the real and the virtual, the artificial and the natural become increasingly blurred. One characteristic that sets the Curitiba Biennial apart is its ability to incorporate the local scene into the international project. The main exhibition at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum is linked to galleries, cultural centers, universities, and independent initiatives, reflecting the vitality of artistic production in Curitiba, Paraná, and Brazil.
TA The Curitiba Biennial stands out for its ability to establish dialogues between the Latin American context and the international contemporary art circuit, creating connections between different geographies, cultures, and critical perspectives.
Another key aspect is its relationship with the city and with the architectural and institutional spaces that house it. Curitiba possesses a unique cultural identity that allows us to consider the Biennial in an expanded way, integrated into the urban fabric.
