A Brazilian Breeze in Berlin: 36th São Paulo Biennial’s Special Selection Comes to HKW!
As one of the world’s most established and influential art events, the São Paulo Biennial opens an exciting chapter in the art world by visiting Germany for the first time in its history! The special Berlin edition of the 36th São Paulo Biennial, titled “Not All Travellers Walk Roads—Of Humanity as Practice,” will meet art lovers at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin from September 12 to December 6, 2026.
Opening its doors with a grand inauguration as part of Berlin Art Week on Friday evening, September 11, at 17:30, the exhibition brings together works by more than 30 international artists, curated by Alya Sebti.
Where Waters Meet: Rivers, Listening, and Poetic Bonds
The exhibition draws inspiration from the lines of Brazilian writer Conceição Evaristo’s poem “Of Calm and Silence”: “Not all travellers walk roads / there are such submerged worlds / where only the silence of poetry trickles through.” Starting from this idea, the selection defines the act of “listening” as a fundamental method of being human and connecting with the other—with living beings, the land, the waters, and past generations.
This dialogue also builds a fascinating architectural bridge between the two cities and venues:
- São Paulo & Berlin Parallel: While the Oscar Niemeyer-designed Biennial Pavilion in São Paulo is surrounded by the waters of Córrego do Sapateiro, the Hugh Stubbins-designed HKW building in Berlin rises right beside Tiergarten, right along the Spree River.
- Estuary Metaphor: Just like estuaries where fresh and salt waters meet, both venues transform into flexible thresholds where architecture and nature, the human and more-than-human worlds encounter and nourish one another.
Transforming “Humanity” into an Action
Curated by Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung and his team, this special edition of the 36th São Paulo Biennial approaches the concept of “humanity” not as a fixed noun, but as a living verb transforming colonial history and legacy.
Featuring over 30 master artists including Cevdet Erek, Wolfgang Tillmans, Emeka Ogboh, Forensic Architecture, Leiko Ikemura, and Laila Hida, the selection seeks ways of resistance against dehumanization, resource exploitation, and homogenization through installations, performances, sound works, and spatial interventions. In doing so, the artists weave a network of care and solidarity that incorporates not only a human-centric language, but also plant and animal life, the spiritual universe, and memory into the process.
If your path leads to Berlin starting mid-September, don’t forget to drop by HKW on the riverbank and step off the beaten path to enjoy an artistic “getting lost” and collective imagination!
