Ecuador's Bienal de Cuenca marks 40th anniversary with a playful theme but a serious tone
- 4 days ago
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This year the Bienal de Cuenca, the country’s premier international art event, celebrated its 40th anniversary with a thematic twist. Under the title The Game, the 17th edition opened on 24 October in the Andean city of Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage site perched more than 2,000 metres above sea level.
Co‑authored by Verónica Pesantes and Charmaine Picard, the Art Newspaper review highlights how the 2025 biennial offered a counterpoint to commercial art fairs by spotlighting artists and curators from the Global South, prioritizing social and political concerns over market‑driven priorities.
Rather than appoint a single artistic director, the Bienal invited 17 internationally acclaimed curators to participate, each selecting three artists—at least one from Ecuador—resulting in 51 projects spread across museums, botanical gardens, the airport and even a 16th‑century convent. Executive director Hernán Pacurucu, appointed in 2023, emphasized public access through programs like “Open Doors” and art kiosks around the country.
