A Void in São Paulo

On November 7th, the São Paulo Bienal Foundation announced the appointment of Ivo Mesquita as curator of the 28th edition of its show, less than one year before its opening in October 2008. Mesquita's proposal has fuelled an ongoing controversy and sharply divided the Brazilian art scene.

Instead of a traditional exhibition, the 28th São Paulo Bienal – to be titled 'Em Vivo Contato' ('Live Contact') – will not contain any art objects: the 2nd floor of Oscar Niemeyer's Bienal pavilion will be completely empty; the basement will become a place for performances and film screenings, while the top floor will be turned into library. During the 42 days of the event, Mesquita will organize a cycle of conferences focusing on how to organize biennials in the future within the historical context of São Paulo Bienal and more than 100 biennials around the world. 'It's quarantine: we are suspending a process in order to allow for some self-examination; from the institutional point of view, it's a radical gesture', says Mesquita, who is working with two co-curators: Ana Paula Cohen and Thomas Mulcaire.

Fabio Cypriano

Fabio Cypriano is an art critic, writing regularly for Folha de S. Paulo, and professor at Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo