Vinicius Spricigo: São Paulo Biennial: A Recurring Occurrence

13.11.2025, 10.00–12.00 Uhr

Universität Kassel, Campus Center, Raum 1111

In 1969, the philosopher Vilém Flusser first drew attention to the obstinate nature of the São Paulo Biennial. He described the repeated staging of a large-scale exhibition every two years outside of major centers of modern and contemporary art as a "stubborn fact." This lecture will address the recurrence of the São Paulo Biennial, which was the first to implement the system of national representation used by the Biennale di Venezia in 1951, albeit within a distinct geographical context. The lecture will analyze the effects of adopting the biennial model in postwar São Paulo and trace its transformation from a format of national representation to its current format of thematic, curator-authored exhibitions.
 

Vinicius Spricigo: São Paulo Biennial: A Recurring Occurrence

13.11.2025, 10.00–12.00 Uhr

Universität Kassel, Campus Center, Raum 1111

In 1969, the philosopher Vilém Flusser first drew attention to the obstinate nature of the São Paulo Biennial. He described the repeated staging of a large-scale exhibition every two years outside of major centers of modern and contemporary art as a "stubborn fact." This lecture will address the recurrence of the São Paulo Biennial, which was the first to implement the system of national representation used by the Biennale di Venezia in 1951, albeit within a distinct geographical context. The lecture will analyze the effects of adopting the biennial model in postwar São Paulo and trace its transformation from a format of national representation to its current format of thematic, curator-authored exhibitions.