44 years after the first day of utopia, in 2022, the oldest biennial in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest and most relevant contemporary artistic programming structures in Portugal, wants to act and put Art and artists to think about the world and emergencies global issues that affect everyone.
When considering the climate emergency and current issues such as sustainability, it is impossible not to mention the importance of the young activist, the Swedish Greta Thunberg (b.2003) and her contribution to putting issues associated with the environment on the global political agenda. One of her iconic quotes: “You must take action. You must do the impossible. Because giving up is never an option.” is, thus, the motto for the theme of the XXII Cerveira International Art Biennial, changing the subject to the first personal plural: WE MUST TAKE ACTION! / WE MUST ACT!
Artistic direction: Helena Mendes Pereira.
With artistic direction by Helena Mendes Pereira, the event will maintain the format adopted since the first edition (1978), with the following programmatic guidelines: tribute to Helena Almeida, guest country – Japan, international competition, guest artists, international conferences, residencies and interventions artistic activities, activities throughout the municipality of VN de Cerveira, exhibition centers in Minho and Galicia, curatorial projects, workshops and guided visits and art in public spaces.
Characteristic of the Cerveira International Art Biennial, the international competition had, in this edition, a record number of 1164 works in competition, out of a total of 741 applications from artists from 50 countries. As part of the international competition, 96 works by 77 artists from 18 nationalities will be presented to the public, to which guest artists, most of whom have been awarded in previous editions, will be joined.
Among the artists presented are many names already known in the world: Fernando Velasquez\ Uruguay, Beatrice Cunha\ Portugal, Francisco Trepa\ Portugal, Andre Martus\ Germany, Marco Moreira\ Portugal, Vasilis Karvounis\ Greece, Mauritz Bettger\ Germany, Camila Soato\ Brazil, Nguyen Trinh Thi, Vietnam, Ines Teles\ Portugal.
It is worth noting that for the first time in the 44-year history of the, Ukrainian art troupe is also on it. This is Oleg Kharch and his wife Olga Shuvalova with the XXII Cerveira International Art Biennial ir bizarre "punk collage" works: The fifth part. The fifth part. "Losing people Water") and PROTECT THE NATURE – GODDAMN IT". Part: CLIMATE DIFFUSIONS.
The aesthetic singularity of the event also resides in the diversity of narratives and interpretations, presented in different contexts. In addition to the integration of works in the public space of the 'Vila das Artes', and contributing to cultural decentralization, the event once again expands across Northern Portugal and Galicia, with exhibitions at: Alfândega da Fé (Casa da Cultura Mestre José Rodrigues), in Caminha (Municipal Museum), in Monção (Art Gallery of Cine Teatro João Verde), in Vila Verde (Municipal Library Professor Machado Vilela) and in Pontevedra (Museo de Pontevedra).
Reinforcing the internationalization of the event, the Fundação Bienal de Arte de Cerveira will continue the process of digital transformation, programming the event, simultaneously with exhibitions and events for in-person and online enjoyment (interviews, guided tours, transmission of artistic interventions and other actions). in the realm of thought).
It should be noted that, in recent decades, the Cerveira International Art Biennial has established itself as one of the most outstanding events in the visual arts in our country, being a reference event for national and international artistic culture.
Tribute to Helena Almeida
Exhibition in homage to Helena Almeida (1934-2018), an artist who reflects much of the spirit expressed in this text. The exhibition will be titled EGO_ERGONOMIA and will take place precisely 40 years after the artist’s production of the work Black Out” (1982) which, in 1984, within the scope of the IV Cerveira International Art Biennial held between August 4 and 2 of September, was the winner of the prize awarded by the Municipality of Vila Nova de Cerveira. In total, 10 works by Helena Almeida will be exhibited, along with works by 10 works by guest artists.
Helena Almeida, Pintura habitada [Inhabited painting], 1975, acrylic on photograph, 42 x 47.5 cm, Coll.Banco Privado Português, S.A. – In liquidation, deposited at the Fundação de Serralves — Museu de Arte Contemporânea, Porto © Photo: Filipe Braga © Fundação de Serralves, Porto
Journey through Oblivion with Ana Mesquita, João Gil and Mia Couto
The artistic project “Travel through Oblivion” will invite the public to travel through the most delicate facets of history, based on video art, music and poetry by Ana Mesquita, João Gil and Mia Couto respectively. It is a triptych film, divided into 12 themes, which invites the audience to travel through the most delicate facets of History, in a constant appeal to the memory of what we were as Humanity, in relation to women, slaves, ancestors, migrants. , the Planet, the Cities, Life and Love.
The project features a soundtrack by João Gil and arrangements by Luís Figueiredo , 12 unpublished poems by Mia Couto – spoken by voices such as the musicians Maria Bethânia, Manuela Azevedo, Carlão and João Gil , the actors Diogo Infante and Natália Luiza and the radio broadcaster. Fernando Alves , joined by Ana Mesquita and João Gil -, and video art by photographers and filmmakers such as Ana Mesquita, Isabel Nolasco, Maria João Rodrigues, Mariana Teixeira, António Proença de Carvalho, Henrique Blanc, Pedro Senna Nunes, Sebastião Albuquerque and Vasco Pinhol .
Bienal de Arte de Cerveira has hosted the stars of the art scene at different times. We can recall in 1980 and 1986 the participation of number One in Portugal - Cabrita, in 1982 Jiri Kolár, one of the top artists after the war of the Czech Republic. As early as 2011, the Cerviera Art Biennale hosted Jake & Dinos Chapman from the United Kingdom, known to us later at the Arsenale Biennale in Kyiv. And in 2013, world-famous Marina Abramovic.
