Anozero, a biennial art festival held in Coimbra's Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova, has opened a ghostly edition that uses installations—including Taryn Simon's sound piece of laments in multiple languages—to protest plans by the Portuguese government to redevelop the 17th-century convent into a hotel under its Revive programme. Festival co-founder Carlos Antunes threatens to cancel the biennial if the development proceeds, framing the event as a warning to the developer about the spirits that haunt the building.
This article matters because it highlights a growing crisis of purpose for art biennials worldwide, which have proliferated to over 200 events but face accusations of gentrification, environmental harm, and superficial engagement with local communities. Anozero's stand against commercial redevelopment positions the festival as an antidote to the biennial model's complicity in urban speculation, raising urgent questions about whether such events can serve cities without being co-opted by developers.