Bienal de Arte Paiz Curator Eugenio Viola. Photo Credit: Gregorio Díaz.
24th Bienal de Arte Paiz: The World Tree [El Árbol del mundo]
November 6, 2025 – February 15, 2026 | Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala
The Fundación Paiz para la Educación y la Cultura proudly announces the 24th edition of the Bienal de Arte Paiz, curated by Eugenio Viola, and themed The World Tree [El árbol del mundo]. Taking place from 6 November 2025 to 15 February 2026 across Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala, this edition positions contemporary art as a transformative medium to foster unity, understanding, and inclusivity in an increasingly divided world.
The World Tree: A Universal Symbol of Interconnection
Curator Eugenio Viola elaborates:
“Today, the metaphor of ‘The World Tree’ stands as a universal symbol of our interconnectedness across cultures, time, and space. Drawing from ancient cosmogonies, this symbol transcends traditional boundaries by illustrating how the spiritual, material, individual, and collective realms interweave within our shared human experience.
The tree’s trunk, branches, and leaves reflect our diverse histories, contemporary challenges, and aspirations. Its roots remind the rhizomatic structure of the web. This connection between the grounded and the ethereal creates a dynamic flow of information and ideas, mirroring the cyclical nature of existence.
Similar to the world tree, contemporary art has the unique ability to connect different aspects of human experience. It can bridge the past and present, the spiritual and material, myth and reality, and the individual and collective dimensions.
The current world is plagued by wars and an alarming surge of intolerance across all levels—ethnic, social, cultural, political, religious, and gender-based. ‘The World Tree’ symbolises the transformative potential of contemporary art to foster understanding, celebrate diversity, and inspire change. It creates bridges that unite rather than walls that divide and represents a call to action for fostering unity and promoting inclusivity.”
A Celebration of Diversity and Inclusion
This edition of the Bienal de Arte Paiz will showcase a wide range of new commissions, featuring international artists spanning generations and continents. Special emphasis will be placed on voices from Indigenous, Aboriginal, and First Nations communities, as well as perspectives across diverse sexualities and genders.
The exhibitions will interact deeply with the history and architecture of the Bienal’s venues in Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala, addressing the intersection of global issues with local contexts and merging public and private spaces to engage audiences in unique ways.
Art as a Catalyst for Unity
Rooted in the metaphor of The World Tree, this biennial asserts that art must foster empathy and mutual understanding within the complex web of cultures, histories, and identities that define our global society. By uniting distant worlds and reconciling diverse perspectives, the 24th Bienal de Arte Paiz inspires audiences to imagine a more inclusive and interconnected future.
For updates on programming, participating artists, and events, visit the Bienal de Arte Paiz official website.
