The Bienal de São Paulo has announced the 120 artists for its 2025 edition, titled “Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice,” opening September 6 at the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion. Curated by Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, the selection was inspired by bird migration patterns and rivers, aiming to avoid nation-state classifications. Notable participants include Isa Genzken, Firelei Báez, Wolfgang Tillmans, Forensic Architecture, and 19 Brazil-based artists, alongside 20 deceased figures such as Bertina Lopes and Ernest Cole.
This edition matters because it reimagines how a major biennial can organize its artist list—using ecological and migratory frameworks rather than geopolitical borders—reflecting a growing trend in global contemporary art to decenter Western-centric narratives. The inclusion of rivers as mapping tools and the emphasis on collective humanity underscore the biennial’s ambition to foster cross-cultural dialogue and challenge conventional curatorial practices.