Biennial in Latin America as a Platform for Presentation of Ideas of Postcolonial Art

Abstract

The purpose of the present research is to analyse the specific features of biennials in Latin America as platforms for the presentation and discussion of postcolonial art ideas. The research methodology is based on the integration of methods and approaches from various fields of knowledge, including art history, cultural studies, history, and international relations, in consideration of the interdisciplinary nature of the topic. The methodological framework is grounded in chronological, systematic, analytical, descriptive, and axiological methods, as well as generalisation and other approaches relevant to the research topic. The scientific novelty of this study is twofold. Firstly, it is the first study of its kind in the Ukrainian humanities to analyse the characteristics of art biennials in Latin America through the methodological framework of postcolonial discourse. Conclusions. The Latin American biennials are not merely large-scale cultural and artistic events; they function as active platforms for the discussions of pressing ideas and issues related to social justice, human rights, postcolonial traumas, and cultural self-identification. As instruments for addressing a range of artistic and socio-political challenges, they are primarily linked to postcolonial discourse. The thematic content of these exhibitions, which are predominantly the presentation of works by artists from the Global South, reflect the collective quests for cultural identity, the efforts to reinterpret and restore the heritage and artistic traditions of Indigenous peoples, and the development of a new artistic language that reflects the authenticity and multifaceted nature of non-Western culture. By challenging the aesthetic and historical standards, often imposed by Western art, Latin American biennials serve as a space for the decolonisation of art and culture. More broadly, they represent a response to the history of colonisation and imperialism, which continue to shape the region, its culture, and artistic practices.