Bienal’21 Fotografia do Porto will have a new edition between May 14 and June 27, with 19 exhibitions planned in different locations around the city and on its online platform.

The central theme is interconnectedness, interdependence or co-dependence; the way human and natural systems, in their infinite structures, exist in a complex network of mutual exchanges, sharing and actions, albeit incomprehensible or visible. “What happens to the world happens to us” is the motto, explored by the critical reflection of 16 curators and 46 Portuguese and foreign artists.

Virgílio Ferreira, the Biennial’s artistic director, underlines the laboratory and experimenting context of the Biennial, and the way this edition “contributes to the production and dissemination of artistic perspectives, actions and interventions, that promote a cultural and ethical change, which we consider equally desirable and inevitable”.

In this context, the exhibition Cidades na Cidade is a visual essay on the plurality of experiences in big cities. The São Bento metro station brings together the challenge posed to Portuguese and Spanish artists about urban community experiences and social and ecological justice.

On the other hand, Sustentar, at Árvore, is an extended project and a consequence of several municipal partnerships. It addresses issues on sustainability and experimental initiatives that seek to mitigate some of the local, regional, and national social challenges.

Access to the exhibitions and parallel programmes is free. However, the capacity of the venues is limited, considering the ongoing health security measures.

Bienal’21 Fotografia do Porto is organised and produced by Plataforma Ci.CLO, co-produced by Câmara Municipal do Porto, financed by Direção-Geral das Artes, and supported by BPI and Fundação “la Caixa”.

Full programme here.