Walk&Talk Bienal de Artes 2025: Gestures of Abundance
September 25 – November 30, 2025 | São Miguel, Azores
We are delighted to give space to the inaugural edition of Walk&Talk Bienal de Artes, titled Gestures of Abundance, taking place on the island of São Miguel, Azores, from September 25 to November 30, 2025. As one of IBA’s youngest members in the Emerging Biennial Section, we are committed to following up on Walk&Talk as the project develops.
Walk&Talk invites audiences to explore the abundant intersections of culture, ecology, and spirituality through a rich program of new commissions, co-productions, and community based projects. Inspired by the Azores’ layered histories and unique biodiversity, Gestures of Abundance offers a transformative perspective, shifting the focus from scarcity to cooperative abundance. It asks: how might we move beyond what is missing to embrace what is present and already thriving?
Rather than viewing the Azores as an ultraperipheral territory marked by absence, the biennial positions this archipelago as a vibrant center of ecological and cultural significance. Drawing on the interconnectedness of archipelagic worlds, as poet and philosopher Édouard Glissant described, Walk&Talk reimagines São Miguel as a nexus of histories, geographies, and potentials. Its program will amplify the diverse cultural profusion of the Azores, reframing the islands as a point of departure for rethinking the meanings of the worlds we create.
Led by a communal network of artists and curators—including Claire Shea (Toronto), Fatima Bintou Rassoul Sy (Dakar), Liliana Coutinho (Lisbon), and Artistic Director Jesse James (Azores)— the biennial fosters collective intelligence and a collaborative approach to curatorial and artistic practices. The confirmed lineup features a wide array of international and local artists, such as Alice Visentin, ANDLab, Candice Lin, Colectiva MALVA, Ebun Sodipo, Gala Porras-Kim, and Uhura Bqueer & Soya the Cow, with more participants to be announced in the coming months.
This inaugural edition builds on the legacy of the Walk&Talk Arts Festival, which has long emphasized collaborative and community-driven practices. By drawing on the Azores’ bio-cultural diversity and geostrategic significance, the biennial highlights the region’s role as an “ecotone” between continents and cultures, embracing the richness of its histories, ecologies, and mythologies.
Walk&Talk Bienal de Artes invites us to reimagine collective futures through gestures of generosity and shared abundance. It celebrates São Miguel as both a site and a source of inspiration, inviting audiences to engage deeply with its stories and possibilities while envisioning more equitable and inclusive cultural landscapes.
For updates on programming, artists, and opportunities to participate, visit Walk&Talk Official Website.
