Biennial in Sao Paulo, which is held since 1951, is a major exhibition of contemporary art in Latin America and one of the most prestigious art events in the world. Over its only the Venice Biennale, founded in 1895. This year's Biennale is held in the 28 th time. It began on 26 October and will run until 6 December. Unfortunately, perhaps, soon Sao Paulo will have to abandon its main cultural events. Those who visit the exhibition this year, may your eyes to make sure that the organizers of the Biennale of major problems.

28 th Biennial of not more like an exhibition, a symposium about the event itself and its future. The program consists of mostly lectures, conferences and performances, the main theme is the history of biennales and its potential in the future. A fine art - paintings, sculptures and installations - on display to upset few. This gave many journalists a reason to declare that the Biennale in Sao Paulo, «is on the deathbed».

«In the air hung a big question mark», - said the dealer from Sao Paulo Ressler, Daniel (Daniel Roessler). He noted that the number of foreign visitors has declined significantly. At the last Biennale gallery Resslera visited twenty groups from different museums, this year he expects only two or three.

Tools to Organize Biennale in Sao Paulo provides private foundation, which provides money as philanthropists, and government city, state and country. But the fund receives not always the case. Therefore, it is highly dependent on the economic situation in Brazil. Nine years ago, the crisis in the country, and the Biennale, which were held in 2000, had to be postponed until the 2002-th. Given the difficult situation resigned members of the board of directors and chief curator Ivo Mesquita (Ivo Mesquita), whereas the former director of the Museum of Modern Art of Sao Paulo. The scandals have undermined the credibility of the organizers of Biennale, which is why it turned many patrons.

Then the President of the fund was Edemar Cid Ferreira (Edemar Cid Ferreira), who in December 2006 was sentenced to 21 years in prison for bank fraud (later, he filed an appeal). The current president, Manuel Francisco Pires da Costa (Manoel Francisco Pires da Costa), also causes great dissatisfaction with the critics: he actively enjoys official status in their own personal purposes. For example, as a landscape architect Biennale gardens around the pavilion, he hired his wife. In addition, Pires da Costa Biennale staff used to ensure that they edited the magazine, which he is co-owner. Last year, when the government learned of the «art» the president, he was placed severe reprimand. But sacked Pires da Costa was not: members of the board chose him again.

curators and other staff involved in organizing the Biennial in 2006, received their fees only after a few months after the end of the exhibition. A catalog of the Biennale has appeared in the press quite recently (!). According to rumors, the famous Brazilian curators Paulo Erkenhoff (Paulo Herkenhoff), Adriano Pedroza (Adriano Pedrosa), Solange Farkas (Solange Farkas), as well as some others have refused to participate in the exhibition.

autumn 2007, Ivo Mesquita, a curator Pinakoteka the State of Sao Paulo, has agreed again to work as curator Biennale. Then he told The Art Newspaper, which will be able to spend on organizing this six-week exhibition of 5-6 million dollars (Biennale 2006, has cost 12-15 million). But MESC have all 8 million reais (3.5 million), representing only one third of the amount on which the cost of last year's Venice Biennale. Of course, these resources proved insufficient for a major international exhibition. Therefore, Mesquita idea for an event is an original concept. That turned out, the visitors plunged into shock.

Biennale takes place in an interesting building, designed by a group of architects led by the famous Oscar Niemeyer (Oscar Niemeyer). The main venue is the second floor (length 250 meters). And that floor, it was decided to leave blank. Pristine clean space nicknamed «void». His extraordinary decision Mesquita discontent caused a large number of artists who gathered to present their creations at the Biennale. «The lack of art in the Biennale - as a kick in the stomach», - told the magazine Frieze Brazilian artist Jacques Leyrner (Jac Leirner). Before the exhibition, local graffiti-artists threatened to burst into the building and «how to work» on the second floor. But the Brazilian curator Muasir Dos Anzhos (Moacir dos Anjos) told the newspaper Folha de São Paulo, which is an empty exhibition space provides eloquent metaphor of the crisis, in which the Biennale.

On the first floor of the building Niemeyer hosts various performances, concerts, film screenings and seminars, which bring together artists, curators, critics, musicians, writers and architects. In the video recording of performances on display and lectures artists. The third floor houses a library, where you can find materials on the history of exhibition catalogs and see 200 other Biennale, as well as a conference room, where matters of tasks, organization and financing of international exhibitions. They also fit the few works of art, which had managed to get there at the Biennale. Visitors can see a video of Marina Abramovich (Marina Abramovic) and Eyi-Liizy Attila, as well as the work of Eric Beltran (Erick Beltrán), Matt Mallik (Matt Mullican), Sophie Calle (Sophie Calle), and Dora Longo Bahia (Dora Longo Bahia). The famous artist Carsten Heller (Carsten Höller) created for the entertainment of visitors «slides» - pipe sticking out of the windows of the second and third floors, where you can go down at first. In 2006-2007, similar «attraction» Heller's work was used in the turbine hall of Tate Modern gallery in London.

Biennial involved in 15 Brazilian artists and 25 authors from other countries. For the exhibition of such level is very low, but the fund has been difficult to find a means of even a modest project. In the six weeks before the opening of the President Fund Pires da Costa announced budget reductions of 40 percent. Ivo Mesquita wrote him an email, which stated that such measures would threaten the integrity of the project. This Pires da Costa said that the integrity will be maintained even at the reduced funding.

Organizers have received money from the six private sponsors (the most important was the oil company Petrobras, has granted 1 million reais), the City of São Paulo state (which it has allocated funds which should have been provided in 2007) and foreign agencies involved in support of the participating artists in the Biennale. The fact that shortly before the exhibition budget substantially reduced - not a new situation. Former President of Biennale Zhulius Landmann (Julius Landmann) told the newspaper Folha de São Paulo, what happened to six of the eight Biennale, where he worked. «Always the case: 60 days before the opening of suddenly appearing problems with money».

And the federal government and the state government of Sao Paulo have decided this year to refrain from financing. «People are not confident that those involved in the organization Biennale, it is reasonable to spend money - says dealer Daniel Ressler - why financiers and businessmen are not confident that if they give money to the exhibition, will project a good».

Ressler said that if the Biennale in Sao Paulo suddenly «to die», he already has heirs. In 1997, in Porto Alegre was founded Mercosur Biennale *, which is actively growing and growing - problems with the financing of its much smaller. «Businessmen from southern Brazil, with much greater support for local hunting Biennale - he said. - One [Biennale. - Ed. ] is growing, the other in deep crisis».

* Mercosur (Mercosur) - the largest in South America, which includes Argentina , brazil , Paraguay , Uruguay and Venezuela , and as associate members - Chile , Bolivia , Colombia , Ecuador and peru .

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Sources: theartnewspaper.com , artinvestment.ru