The 36th São Paulo Biennial Arrives at Berlin's HKW

The thirty-sixth iteration of the São Paulo Biennial arrives in Germany for the very first time, taking residence at Berlin's Haus der Kulturen der Welt. Running from 12 September through 6 December 2026, this satellite presentation adapts the flagship exhibition into a concentrated collection of newly commissioned, reworked, and site-responsive projects. Rather than replicating the original scale, the local iteration functions as a focused dialogue between artistic voices and the host institution's architectural landscape.

Drawing inspiration from Conceição Evaristo's verse regarding silence and submerged realms, the overarching framework positions attentive listening as fundamental to ethical existence. This auditory discipline encourages deeper connections across species, environments, and ancestral histories. By treating humanism not as a fixed identity but as an active methodology, the show interrogates structural inequities inherited from colonial and modernist frameworks. Participants challenge extractive economies and homogenised narratives, replacing them with strategies of mutual aid and ecological awareness. Within this context, aesthetic pleasure operates as a deliberate political tool, emerging from fragmented experiences rather than polished perfection.

The roster features over thirty practitioners working across installation, performance, audio composition, and archival research. Figures such as Forensic Architecture, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Emeka Ogboh join sculptors, painters, and sound artists like Leiko Ikemura, Cevdet Erek, and Tanka Fonta. Their contributions span continents, bridging perspectives from Lagos to São Paulo while maintaining a shared commitment to decolonial praxis. Curated locally by Alya Sebti under the broader conceptual direction of Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, the project integrates advisory roles from Keyna Eleison and several deputy coordinators to shape its academic architecture. The selection underscores how contemporary art can function as both archive and laboratory for social reconfiguration.

Visitors can engage with the space starting 11 September, when an opening weekend commences with a dense schedule of talks, screenings, and live music. Highlights include a sonic performance by Julianknxx, a jazz ensemble led by Ray Lema, and a turntable session by Ogboh. Additional interventions feature poets, dancers, and visual creators who transform the gallery into a dynamic forum for exchange. This initial programme establishes the tone for a season dedicated to experimental pedagogy and communal gathering.

Institutional backing comes from Petrobras, which has sponsored the travelling exhibition circuit since 2011. The Berlin venue receives partial funding from German federal cultural authorities. This partnership ensures the biennial's critical inquiries reach European audiences without diluting their original geopolitical urgency. As global art institutions increasingly grapple with post-colonial accountability, this presentation offers a compelling model for transnational cultural exchange rooted in reciprocity rather than extraction.