For the first episode of “Bienal, 70 anos”, the Bienal de Sao Paulo looks at the origins of the event and the role played by Ciccillo Matarazzo. The Italian-Brazilian industrialist used his family fortune to finance the cultural scene in Sao Paulo, and inaugurated the first edition of the biennial in 1951.

More than 8.5 million art lovers have since participated in the annual show.

Each of the first eight episodes of “Bienal, 70 anos” will focus on a specific decade between 1950 and this year, while the last two episodes will offer bonus content. All will be presented by Brazilian actress and filmmaker Marina Person, with a soundtrack by Fernando Cespedes.

Listeners will be able to discover interviews with major names in Brazilian contemporary art.

Episodes of the commemorative podcast will be released every Saturday until Sept 4, when the 34th edition of the art biennial opens, running until Dec 5 in the Brazilian city.

The event, titled “Faz Escuro Mas Eu Canto” (“Though It’s Dark, Still I Sing”), was scheduled to take place last year but was postponed due to the pandemic.

More than 90 artists and collectives will participate in this latest edition, which is one of the most diverse. Indeed, for the first time in the history of the biennial, nine indigenous artists will exhibit their work.

“Since its conception, and with an even greater sense of urgency after the developments in recent months, the 34th Bienal seeks to establish bridges between artworks and artists that reflect multiple cosmovisions, cultures and historical moments,” said chief curator Jacopo Crivelli Visconti.