In the News

Current coverage of Rio Art Biennial

Loading latest coverage...

Between Carnival and Crisis: How Rio's Biennial Reimagines the City

On a sweltering February afternoon in 2011, curator Paulo Herkenhoff stood in the grand atrium of the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, gesturing toward the neoclassical ceiling as workers installed scaffolding below. "Rio has always been imagined by others," he said to the small group of journalists gathered for a preview of the city's first international art biennial. "Now we will imagine ourselves."

This statement—part declaration of independence, part curatorial manifesto—captured the audacious spirit behind the Rio Art Biennial's creation. In a global landscape already crowded with biennials (nearly 300 worldwide), Rio's entry was neither a vanity project nor a tourism initiative, but rather a strategic intervention in how Brazil's cultural capital represented itself to the world and, perhaps more crucially, to its own citizens.

The timing was significant: Brazil was ascending economically, preparing to host both the World Cup and Olympics, and Rio was undergoing rapid urban transformation. Yet beneath the narrative of progress lay persistent contradictions—extreme inequality, environmental vulnerability, and the complex legacies of colonialism. The biennial emerged as a space to engage with these tensions rather than obscure them behind the spectacle of mega-events.

"We decided early that we would not create another Venice or São Paulo," recalls Luiz Camillo Osorio, who served on the biennial's founding committee. "Those models worked for their contexts, but Rio demanded something different—more distributed, more embedded in the life of the city, more willing to embrace contradictions."

This vision manifested in the biennial's distinctive structure. Rather than concentrate exhibitions in a single pavilion (as in Venice) or park (as in São Paulo), the Rio Art Biennial spread across diverse venues: established museums, emerging galleries, public squares, and even temporary structures in favelas. This approach transformed the biennial experience into an urban journey, where moving between artworks meant navigating the city's social and geographical complexities.

The impact was immediately apparent in the inaugural edition's centerpiece: a series of site-specific installations along the Guanabara Bay waterfront. Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto created a massive biomorphic structure beneath the modernist Museum of Modern Art, while Colombian artist Doris Salcedo installed a somber memorial to victims of violence that stretched from the museum's grounds to the water's edge. These works directly engaged with their settings, drawing connections between artistic expression and civic space.

By the 2015 edition, the biennial had evolved into an even more ambitious interrogation of the relationship between art and city. Curator Luis Pérez-Oramas selected "The Body in the City" as the central theme, commissioning projects that examined how urban environments shape human experience. The most provocative was "Occupation," a collaborative project by the Brazilian collective Frente 3 de Fevereiro, which transformed abandoned buildings in Rio's rapidly gentrifying port area into temporary exhibition spaces addressing displacement and housing rights.

This willingness to engage with controversial issues became a defining characteristic of the Rio Art Biennial, distinguishing it from more established counterparts. The 2019 edition explicitly addressed environmental crisis through "Anthropocene River," a sprawling exhibition that traced the Guanabara Bay's ecological deterioration through installations, scientific data, and indigenous knowledge systems. Mexican artist Pedro Reyes created "Floating Garden," a series of bioremediating sculptures that actually cleaned polluted water as they floated in the bay—art with both symbolic and literal impact.

Perhaps most remarkable has been the biennial's evolving relationship with Rio's favelas, the informal communities that house nearly a quarter of the city's population but are often marginalized in official cultural narratives. Initially criticized for tokenistic engagement, the biennial has progressively deepened its connections with these communities, establishing year-round programs and supporting the development of cultural centers like the Galpão Bela Maré in the Complexo da Maré favela.

"The biennial now understands that favelas aren't just sites for temporary artistic intervention but are cultural producers in their own right," explains Jailson de Souza e Silva, founder of the Observatório de Favelas. "This shift has been crucial in challenging hierarchies about who creates art and where art belongs."

This evolution reflects the biennial's core mission: not merely displaying contemporary art but using it to reimagine Rio itself. In a city famously divided between morro (hill, where favelas climb the slopes) and asfalto (asphalt, the formal city below), the biennial creates temporary bridges between segregated spaces, inviting movement across boundaries that structure everyday life.

As the Rio Art Biennial approaches its eighth edition in 2025, it faces both expanded possibilities and intensified challenges. Brazil's political polarization, environmental threats to the Amazon, and the ongoing struggles for indigenous and Afro-Brazilian rights create an urgent context for artistic intervention. Meanwhile, global debates about decolonizing cultural institutions and addressing climate emergency resonate strongly with the biennial's founding concerns.

The upcoming edition, themed "Crossing Boundaries: Art in Dialogue," signals continuity with the biennial's established approach while emphasizing exchange across disciplines, geographies, and knowledge systems. The preliminary artist list reflects global diversity while maintaining strong representation from Brazil and Latin America.

"What we've learned over the years is that Rio doesn't need a biennial that mimics global models," says current artistic director Clarissa Diniz. "It needs one that emerges from and responds to the specific realities of this place—a biennial that exists between carnival and crisis, between celebration and critique, between the spectacular and the everyday."

In this commitment to contextual response rather than universal formula, the Rio Art Biennial offers a model for how contemporary art can engage meaningfully with urban complexity worldwide. Its legacy lies not in monumental pavilions or market validation but in moments of connection across difference—in art that imagines the city not as it appears in postcards, but as it is lived, contested, and continually reimagined by those who call it home.

Sources & Further Reading

Artistic Vision & Themes

The Rio Art Biennial is guided by a curatorial approach that celebrates the intersection of global contemporary art practices with Brazil's rich cultural traditions and social realities. Each edition develops around a central theme that responds to pressing issues while remaining grounded in Rio's unique context as a city of striking contrasts—where natural beauty coexists with urban challenges, and where diverse cultural influences continuously shape artistic expression.

The biennial's commitment to accessibility and public engagement is reflected in its programming structure, which extends beyond traditional exhibition formats to include performances, workshops, educational initiatives, and community collaborations. By occupying both established cultural institutions and unexpected urban spaces, the biennial creates a dynamic platform for artistic dialogue that reaches diverse audiences.

The 2025 edition, themed "Crossing Boundaries: Art in Dialogue," emphasizes the power of art to create connections across geographical, social, and disciplinary borders. The curatorial framework explores how artistic practices can bridge divides between different communities, knowledge systems, and forms of expression, reflecting Rio's status as a cultural crossroads where indigenous, African, European, and contemporary global influences converge.

History & Legacy

The Rio Art Biennial emerged in 2011 during a transformative period in Brazil's cultural landscape, coinciding with the country's growing international prominence and Rio's preparation to host global sporting events. Founded through collaboration between leading cultural institutions, government entities, and private sponsors, the biennial aimed to establish Rio de Janeiro as a significant hub for contemporary art in Latin America.

From its inception, the biennial distinguished itself through its decentralized model, occupying multiple venues across the city rather than concentrating in a single exhibition space. This approach reflected a conscious strategy to engage with Rio's urban fabric and diverse communities, making contemporary art accessible beyond traditional cultural centers.

2011

Inaugural edition, "Art Without Borders," establishes the biennial's distributed exhibition model across five venues

2013

Second edition expands to include more community engagement programs in Rio's peripheries

2015

"The Body in the City" theme explores urban experience through site-specific installations and performances

2017

"Political Imaginaries" addresses social justice and environmental concerns through collaborative projects

2019

"Anthropocene River" focuses on ecological crises, featuring major environmental interventions along Guanabara Bay

2021

"Digital Territories" combines physical and virtual exhibitions adapting to global pandemic challenges

2023

"Collective Futures" emphasizes collaboration between artists and communities, establishing permanent cultural spaces in underserved areas

From the Art World

Contemporary art news and visual culture from leading sources

Loading art world updates...

Exhibition Venues

The Rio Art Biennial utilizes a constellation of venues throughout the city, transforming both established cultural institutions and unexpected spaces into galleries for contemporary art. This distributed approach encourages visitors to explore different neighborhoods of Rio while experiencing how art interacts with various architectural and urban contexts.

From the grandeur of traditional museums to the raw energy of repurposed industrial spaces, the diverse venues of the Rio Art Biennial reflect the city's multifaceted character and rich architectural heritage. This strategy of urban engagement has become a defining characteristic of the biennial, distinguishing it from other international art events.

Historic

Museu Nacional de Belas Artes

Neoclassical Building • Downtown District

The historic National Fine Arts Museum hosts major exhibitions featuring established artists in its grand neoclassical galleries.

Established in 1937, this iconic museum offers a dialogue between contemporary works and Brazil's artistic heritage.

Modernist

Museu de Arte Moderna

Burle Marx Gardens • Flamengo Park

MAM Rio's modernist building designed by Affonso Eduardo Reidy provides a striking backdrop for avant-garde installations.

Located in Flamengo Park with gardens by Roberto Burle Marx, offering views of Guanabara Bay.

Futuristic

Museu do Amanhã

Santiago Calatrava Design • Port Area

The futuristic "Museum of Tomorrow" designed by Santiago Calatrava hosts technology-focused art installations.

Located on Guanabara Bay, this science museum provides a perfect setting for works exploring the intersection of art and technology.

Contemporary

Museu de Arte do Rio

Adaptive Reuse • Porto Maravilha

MAR combines historic and contemporary architecture, offering versatile spaces for diverse artistic expressions.

Located in the revitalized port area, connecting Rio's past and future through art.

Featured Artists

The Rio Art Biennial brings together a diverse array of artistic voices from Brazil and around the world. Reflecting the biennial's commitment to promoting dialogue between local and global perspectives, the featured artists represent a wide range of practices, from traditional media to experimental approaches. Through careful curation, the biennial highlights both established figures and emerging talents, with a particular emphasis on artists from Latin America and the Global South.

AV

Adriana Varejão

Painting / Installation

Brazilian artist known for her work referencing colonial history and cultural identity through ceramics and azulejos. Her paintings incorporate architectural elements and bodily forms, creating powerful statements about Brazil's complex cultural history.

VM

Vik Muniz

Photography / Mixed Media

Internationally renowned for recreating iconic images using unconventional materials, photographed and displayed at large scale. His work often addresses social issues and environmental concerns through innovative techniques.

EN

Ernesto Neto

Sculpture / Installation

Creates immersive, sensory environments using stretchy, translucent materials inspired by biomorphic forms. His installations invite audience interaction and often incorporate aromatic elements and textural experiences.

GM

Gabriel Massan

Digital Art / Animation

Emerging artist exploring the boundary between physical and digital realities through immersive installations. His work challenges conventional narratives about identity and technology in contemporary Brazilian society.

Video Experience

Experience the vibrant energy of the Rio Art Biennial through this immersive video tour showcasing exhibition spaces, artist interviews, and the city's dynamic cultural landscape.

Video: Rio Art Biennial Exhibition Tour | Watch on YouTube

Venue Locations

The Rio Art Biennial takes place across multiple venues throughout Rio de Janeiro, with main exhibition sites centered in the city's cultural districts and historic center.

Rio de Janeiro City Guide

Navigate Brazil's vibrant coastal metropolis like a cultural insider with our curated guide to Rio's art districts, hidden galleries, and creative neighborhoods beyond the biennial venues.

🎨
Santa Teresa

Bohemian hillside district with artist studios

Lapa

Historic area with vibrant street art

🏛️
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil

Major exhibitions in historic building

🌊
Parque Lage

Visual arts school in historic mansion

Art Districts

  • 📍 Porto Maravilha: Revitalized port area with Museu de Arte do Rio and AquaRio cultural complex
  • 📍 Gávea: Upscale neighborhood with Instituto Moreira Salles and contemporary galleries
  • 📍 Jardim Botânico: Leafy district with Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage
  • 📍 Copacabana: Beachfront area with Forte de Copacabana cultural center

Getting Around

Rio's Metro connects main cultural areas with stations near key venues. The VLT tram system serves the downtown and port areas. Ride-sharing apps and official taxis are convenient for reaching hillside locations like Santa Teresa. The Rio Card provides access to all public transportation.