MAM São Paulo announces Diane Lima as Curator of the 39th Panorama of Brazilian Art

The selection process for curating the Panorama da Brazilian Art, a biennial exhibition organized by the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo, is the result of approximately five months of work conducted by MAM's management and the museum's Arts Commission, composed of Alexia Tala, Claudinei Roberto da Silva, Cristiana Tejo, Daniela Labra, and Rosana Paulino, working alongside the museum’s Chief Curator, Cauê Alves.

“Diane Lima’s project was selected for broadening the discussion around the achievements of representational politics within Brazil’s cultural landscape and for offering a perspective that challenges conventional readings of contemporary Brazilian art, which has always been a fundamental part of the Panorama of Brazilian Art,” says Cauê Alves.

The curator reflects on the present moment and its unfoldings: where we are, how far we have come, and what we wish to imagine beyond what has already been said and seen. The 2026 edition seeks to understand how representation policies continually impact the perception, criticism, and future of artistic practice in the country.

Inspired by a philosophical question posed by Denise Ferreira da Silva, the exhibition title invites us to consider what becomes possible when a work refuses to be immediately deciphered. Based on this dialogue, Lima develops an approach that connects different generations, languages, materialities, and regions, bringing together practices that destabilize mental geographies, reject rigid classifications, and call for new sensibilities to think about contemporary Brazilian art.

The 39th edition of the Panorama of Brazilian Art is scheduled to open in September 2026 at the MAM São Pauloin Ibirapuera Park, following the completion of renovations on the museum and its pavilion.

The Panorama da Brazilian Art is a biennial exhibition held by the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo since 1969. Established as one of the most important exhibitions on the national art calendar, each edition of the exhibition presents curatorial selections that address pressing contemporary issues and highlight the diversity of artistic production in Brazil, strengthening the dialogue between artists, institutions, and audiences.

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