Pélagie Gbaguidi – 36th Bienal de São Paulo

At the 36th Bienal de São Paulo — Not all travellers walk roads: Of humanity as practice — Pélagie Gbaguidi presents Guardians of Cosmos an installation of five paintings assembled within a wooden structure that replicates the most basic form of shelter: the tent. The work functions both as a refuge and as a surface. On the front of each painting, Gbaguidi employs abstract, graphic mark-making that evokes bodily traces, memory, and gestural inscriptions, creating a visual language that is both intimate and universal. Each painting is also dedicated to one of the primordial elements—food, water, forest, air, and wildlife—linking material existence to spiritual and ecological frameworks. On the reverse side, she depicts floor plans of typical West African houses, inviting the public to circulate through the installation and discover these place-bound architectural references.

View of Pélagie Gbaguidi’s installation at the 36th Bienal de São Paulo © Levi Fanan / Fundação Bienal

Through this work, Gbaguidi continues her exploration of the social and symbolic undercurrents of colonial and postcolonial legacies. Her research delves into ancestral narratives and contemporary strategies for reframing histories from a decolonial perspective. Printed excerpts related to the right to housing, drawn from the Brazilian Constitution, anchor the work in a legal and political context, prompting reflection on the intersections between dwelling, collective living, and social justice.

Gbaguidi’s visual choreography embodies African knowledge, philosophy, and existence, presenting a dialogue between ancient conflicts and their contemporary manifestations. The installation functions as a metaphor for her practice as a whole — and for her role as a contemporary griot, a storyteller of West Africa and a living archive of oral traditions and ancestral narratives. By weaving together architectural forms, historical consciousness, primordial elements, and personal experience, the work invites viewers to engage with the layered textures of heritage, justice, and collective imagination.

The 36th Bienal de São Paulo is led by General Curator Prof. Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, together with his team of co-curators Alya Sebti, Anna Roberta Goetz, and Thiago de Paula Souza, as well as at-large co-curator Keyna Eleison.

September 6, 2025 — November 1, 2026
Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil