This fall semester, Princeton students in the course “Contemporary Art: The World Picture” examined how large-scale art exhibitions challenge and transform the way we look at the world. A key component of the class, supported by the David A. Gardner ’69 Magic Project in the Humanities Council, was a fall break trip to Brazil to visit the 32nd São Paulo Bienal.
In São Paulo, we learned that urban sprawl had paved over the city’s rivers and in the biennale we encountered artworks that confronted environmental concerns in Brazil. Looking out at the view of the Jaguari River during a hike at Fazenda Serrinha, an ecological reserve outside of the city, was an opportunity to contextualize our experience navigating the megacity. After discussing Lucas Bambozzi’s sculpture “Revenge Is a Kind of Savage Justice,” our guides encouraged us to listen to the trees. We were surprised to find the trees actually whistled! (Caption and photo by Margot Yale, Class of 2017)
