What is BIENALSUR?
An expansive proposal for contemporary art, culture and reflection From the south of the world we have been organising BIENALSUR, the International Biennial of Contemporary Art of the South conceived by the Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero (UNTREF), a public university in Argentina.
It is a different kind of biennial: decentralised, democratic, horizontal and humanistic, embracing the issues of today's world.
From its Km 0 at MUNTREF (Museums of the Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero) Hotel de Inmigrantes venue in the City of Buenos Aires, to Tokyo, BIENALSUR maps out a new cartography for contemporary art that spans 18,370 kilometres, simultaneously connecting art spaces, creators, audiences and communities from all continents.
As of 2015, a series of Global South meetings were held that gave rise to a dynamic project rooted in dialogues, exchanges and presentations making up a diverse and sustained public programme. BIENALSUR was subsequently built on this foundation.
The first edition of BIENALSUR was held in 2017, featuring the participation of more than 400 artists across approximately 80 venues in 34 cities spanning 16 countries. In 2019, the map extended its reach, encompassing 112 venues in 47 cities in 21 countries. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic in 2021, the biennial took place in 120 venues across 48 cities in 24 countries of the Americas, Asia and Europe. Over 1800 artists from all over the world participated throughout the first three editions. In 2023 the fourth edition of BIENALSUR took place in more than 70 cities in 28 countries on 5 continents. With the participation of more than 700 artists and 64 curators.
Recognitions
Since 2019 BIENALSUR has the General Patronage of UNESCO. Also in 2019 the platform incubated at UNTREF was selected as a cultural project for the International Forum for Peace, Paris.
2021 BIENALSUR was distinguished by the Jorge Luis Borges International Foundation.
2022 BIENALSUR received the Konex Award as a cultural institution.
2023 BIENALSUR received the Gratis Artis prize awarded by the National Academy of Fine Arts.
ANÍBAL JOZAMI
/ GENERAL DIRECTOR OF BIENALSUR
Aníbal Jozami is a sociologist specialized in International Relations, a businessman and an art collector. He is the rector emeritus of the Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero and the Director of the museums of the same university (MUNTREF). In 1993, Jozami founded the Foro del Sur Foundation, a nongovernmental organization whose mission is to gather political, business and academic leaders to formulate state policies for South America. In 2015 the culture ministers of the South American countries, endorsed the BIENALSUR project because of the interest for the region and its global projection. He was distinguished for the French Republic with the Chevalier of the Ordre of the arts and the Ordre al Merit.
DIANA WECHSLER
/ ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF BIENALSUR
Diana Wechsler has a doctorate in Art History, is a CONICET (National Council for Scientific and Technical Research) researcher and a curator. Vice Rector of the Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero (UNTREF), artistic director of the museums of the same university (MUNTREF), she also directs the Instituto de Investigación en Arte y Cultura Dr. Norberto Griffa and the Master in Curatorial Studies at UNTREF. Professor of Argentine Art at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), she has obtained scholarships and grants such as the Getty Foundation Postdoctoral Scholarship and the awards for Art Essays and Curatorships from the International Association of Art Critics and Scientific Production of the Argentine Senate. Selected as a member of the Abattoirs Acquisition Committee, Frac Occitanie Toulouse, she was distinguished by the French Republic with the honorary title of Chevalier des Palmes Académiques.
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AUTHORITIES:
General Direction
Aníbal Jozami
Artistic Direction
Diana Wechsler
Institutional Direction
Martín Kaufmann
Executive Management Coordination
Liliana Piñeiro
General production coordination
Juana Carranza Vélez
Production coordination
Mauro Ramírez
Betina Carbonari
General Communication Coordination
Marlise Ilhesca
Institutional communication
Marisa Rojas
Press
Claribel Terre
Legal and technical management coordination
Fabián Blanco
Curatorial Team
Florencia Battiti
Fernando Farina
Benedetta Casini
Clarisa Appendino
Pablo La Padula
Sebastián Tedesco
Institutional management
Mariana Armento
Pablo Stancanelli
Production team
Camila Carella
Fanny Paoli
Fernanda Molina
Julieta Rosell
Julieta Sarmiento
Malena Rosemberg
Paula Domenech
Violeta Böhmer
Jacinta Mura
Viviana Gendre
Emiliana Scaramella
Manuela Arce
Coordination of audiovisual technology
Blas Lamagni
Audiovisual technical assistance
Sofía Monardo
Assembly design
Leandro Sánchez
Architecture
Gonzalo Garay
Editorial and graphic coordination
Florencia Incarbone
Graphic management
Luciana Estévez
Graphic design
Marius Estudio
Digital graphic design
Camila Pedrozo
Web management
Candela Del Valle
Community manager
Julia Marzik
Photo management
Natalia Calvieri
Audiovisual production
UNTREF Media - Dir. Federico Consiglieri
Audiovisual coordination
Fabiana Frayssinet
Image editing coordination
Ariel Riveiro
Audiovisual Producer
Julián Franzil
Legal and technical management assistance
Nahuel Billoni
Leticia Rebottaro
Milagros Borghi
Paola Carballude
Karina Rivero
Academic Committee/Academic Network:
Academia de Bellas Artes de París
Escuela Municipal de Bellas Artes de Valparaíso (CHL)
Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes (PER)
Fundación Alvarez Penteado (BRA)
Fundación Getulio Vargas (BRA)
Instituto Universitario Sudamericano (URY)
Universidad Abdelmalek Essaâdi de Tánger (MAR)
Universidad Austral (CHL)
Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ESP)
Universidad de Chile (CHL)
Universidad de la República (URY)
Universidad de Las Américas de Puebla (MEX)
Universidad de las Artes (ECU)
Universidad de las Artes de Tokio (JPN)
Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense (NIC)
Universidad de Los Andes (COL)
Universidad de Salamanca (ESP)
Universidad de San Carlos (GTM)
Universidad de São Paulo (BRA)
Universidad Federal de Rio Grande do Sul (BRA)
Universidad Federal de Santa Catarina (BRA)
Universidad Federal de Santa Maria (BRA)
Universidad Javeriana (COL)
Universidad Mayor de San Marcos (PER)
Universidad Metropolitana de Caracas (VEN)
Universidad Nacional de Colombia (COL)
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (ARG)
Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (ARG)
BIENALSUR International Curatorial Council
2025:
Enrique Aguerre (URY)
Etienne Bernard (FRA)
Manolo Borja (ESP)
Alex Brahim (COL)
Eugenio Carmona (ESP)
Fabien Danesi (FRA)
Estrella de Diego (ESP)
Andrés Duprat (ARG)
João Fernandes (PRT)
Marta Gili (ESP)
Abdellah Karroum (MAR)
Mona Khazindar (SAU)
Mehdi Kotbi (MAR)
José María Luna (ESP)
Simon Njami (CHE)
Tania Pardo (ESP)
Manuel Segade (ESP)
Nayla Tamraz (LBN)
BIENALSUR International Curatorial Council
2023:
Enrique Aguerre (URY)
Etienne Bernard (FRA)
Manolo Borja (ESP)
Alex Brahim (COL)
Eugenio Carmona (ESP)
Fabien Danesi (FRA)
Estrella de Diego (ESP)
Andrés Duprat (ARG)
Alexia Fabre (FRA)
João Fernandes (PRT)
Marta Gili (ESP)
Valeria González (ARG)
Abdellah Karroum (MAR)
Mona Khazindar (SAU)
Emma Lavigne (FRA)
Bartomeu Mari (ESP)
José-Carlos Mariátegui (PER)
Simon Njami (CHE)
Nada Shabout (GBR)
Nayla Tamraz (LBN)
BIENALSUR Curatorial Council 2023:
Coordinación general
Liliana Piñeiro (ARG)
Equipo curatorial
Clarisa Appendino (ARG)
Florencia Battiti (ARG)
Benedetta Casini (ITA)
Fernando Farina (ARG)
Carlos Herrera (ARG)
Francisco Medail (ARG)
Pablo La Padula (ARG)
Cristina Rossi (ARG)
Sebastián Tedesco (ARG)
BIENALSUR International Curatorial Council
2021:
Enrique Aguerre (URY)
Manolo Borja (ESP)
Estrella de Diego (ESP)
Andrés Duprat (ARG)
Alexia Fabre (FRA)
João Fernandes (PRT)
Marta Gili (ESP)
Valeria González (ARG)
Abdellah Karroum (MAR)
Mona Khazindar (SAU)
Emma Lavigne (FRA)
Bartomeu Mari (ESP)
Jose-Carlos Mariategui (PER)
Simon Njami (CHE)
Nada Shabout (GBR)
Nayla Tamraz (LBN)
Maria Wills (COL)
BIENALSUR Curatorial Council 2021:
Coordinación general
Liliana Piñeiro (ARG)
Marina Aguerre (ARG)
Equipo curatorial
Benedetta Casini (ITA)
Leandro Martínez Depietri (ARG)
Florencia Qualina (ARG)
Florencia Battiti (ARG)
Fernando Farina (ARG)
BIENALSUR International Curatorial Council
2019:
Manolo Borja (ESP)
Cauê Alves (BRA)
Ferran Barenblit (ESP)
Regina Teixeira de Barros (BRA)
Stephane Aquin (CAN)
Ramón Castillo (CHL)
Estrella de Diego (ESP)
Simon Djami (CMR)
Andrés Duprat (ARG)
Ticio Escobar (PRY)
João Fernandes (PRT)
Clara Garavelli (GBR)
Marta Gili (ESP/FRA)
Fábio Magalhães (BRA)
José Carlos Mariátegui (PER)
Johannes Odenthal (DEU)
Catherine Petigas (FRA/ GBR)
Thaís Rivitti (BRA)
Agustín Pérez Rubio (ESP)
Nada Shabout (USA)
Nayla Tamraz (LBN)
Marie –Cecile Zinsou (BEN)
BIENALSUR Curatorial Council 2019:
Liliana Piñeiro (ARG)
Marina Aguerre (ARG)
Florencia Battiti (ARG)
Benedetta Casini (ITA)
Fernando Farina (ARG)
BIENALSUR International Curatorial Council
2017:
Florencia Battiti (ARG)
Lionel Bovier (CHE)
Tadeu Chiarelli (BRA)
Estrella De Diego (ESP)
Albertine de Galbert (FRA)
Néstor García Canclini (ARG / MEX)
Andrés Duprat (ARG)
Ticio Escobar (PRY)
Fernando Farina (ARG)
Abdellah Karroum (MAR / QAT)
Fábio Magalhães (BRA)
Jeanine Meerapfel (DEU)
Hans Ulrich Obrist (CHE / GBR)
Rodrigo Quijano (PER)
Ivonne Pini (COL)
Liliana Piñeiro (ARG)
Diana Wechsler (ARG)
Marie-Cécile Zinzou (BEN)