In July, the Bienal de São Paulo commemorates 70 years of history with a special digital program. The date will be celebrated with actions that include the launch of a podcast, a publication and a short film. Visual artists, musical performers and television and film actors are joining the commemoration by sending video statements.

Since its first edition in 1951, there have been 33 editions of the Bienal, with the participation of approximately 140 countries, 11,500 artists or artist collectives, more than 70,000 artworks and 8.5 million visitors. The 34th edition, entitled Faz escuro mas eu canto [Though It’s Dark, Still I Sing], has been underway since February 2020 with an enlarged program and will reach its apex starting September 4, 2021, with the opening of the large group show at the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion and a series of shows in the network of partner institutions throughout the city of São Paulo.

Timeline

Due to the success of the first print run, the Linha do Tempo da Bienal de São Paulo [Timeline of the Bienal de São Paulo] was revised, expanded and reprinted as a bilingual edition for the 70th anniversary of the 1st Bienal, covering from then until the 33rd edition.

The publication is a concise and accessible presentation of the key details of each edition of the show, such as the number of artworks, artists and participating countries, the title, the curatorial team, a brief synopsis, and the poster for that edition of the event, along with exhibition installation views.

Short Documentary Film

With the participation of actor Lima Duarte as the voice of Ciccillo Matarazzo and narrated by Angela Dippe, the short documentary film Arquivo Histórico Wanda Svevo: o passado em perpétua construção [The Wanda Svevo Historical Archive: The Past in Perpetual Construction] visually delves into the Bienal Archive and its symbolism in the history of the Bienal de São Paulo.The short film directed by Danilo Komniski, subtitled in English, is made up of archival images, many of them being revealed for the first time, as well as on-site filmings of the Bienal Archive and the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion along with an interview with Ana Mattos, an MA in Digital Information and Knowledge Management, and the manager of the Bienal Archive since 2013.