Bienal de São Paulo workers accuse organisers of poor management and discriminatory practices

Installation view of Mimenekenu É Lá Tempo (2023) by Ana Pi and Taata Kwa Nkisi Mutá Imé in the 35th Bienal de São Paulo, Choreographies of the Impossible © Levi Fanan / Fundação Bienal de São Paulo
The Fundação Bienal de São Paulo, the organisation that oversees the Bienal de São Paulo, has responded to an open letter published last month from workers who claim that poor management in the 35th edition of the biennial has subjected them to inadequate working conditions and discrimination.
The organisers claim they were “surprised” to learn about the letter, published on 18 October, and that managers in the production, education and other sectors were not contacted prior to its release. Other internal, confidential channels of communication were also not made aware of the complaints, they claim.
The workers state that salaries did not meet comparative standards, that food allowances and bathroom breaks were insufficient for the strenuous workload involved, and that excessive heat has caused some workers to faint. However, much of the letter focuses on claims of discrimination, intimidation and “moral harassment”.
The workers cite two decrees that it alleges the organisation did not follow to standards, one pertaining to a 2016 law that guarantees rights and appropriate working conditions for people with disabilities, and another also enacted in 2016 that ensures rights for transgender people in the workplace, mandating that workers be allowed to be identified under their chosen name (or so-called “social name”, as opposed to their “deadname”) and use the bathrooms compatible with their gender.
The workers add that the hiring of a more diverse workforce, albeit a positive step forward, must be supported with policies that allow those labour regulations to be met, and that the current working conditions violate labour, civil and human rights.
“For the Fundação Bienal, it seems to be enough to create access for those who are different, so that it can spread a discourse on diversification,” the workers state. “If this is not the case, there is a need to recognise the importance of institutional policies that can provide these professionals with conditions to perform their functions.”
The letter adds that the working conditions at the biennial perpetuate the same structures of violence and discrimination that are denounced in the artworks throughout the exhibition, titled Coreografias do Impossível (Choreographies of the Impossible) (until 10 December) and featuring a predominant roster of non-white artists critiquing social and racial themes.
If no action is taken, the workers’ letter states, “it will become clear that the hiring of marginalised bodies at this biennial is part of an institutional merchandising scheme that profits from their presences by projecting an image of inclusion and accessibility without, however, basing that on measures that guarantee the well-being of these workers”.
Workers demand that organisers provide clearer physical and digital guidelines for the execution of their jobs; cover any damages that the employee may have suffered or could suffer; and promote a pleasant and stimulating work environment, free from discrimination or prejudice. The “terrible working conditions” in this edition of the biennial have had harmful effects on their “performance, physical and mental health, and has contributed to transphobic, ableist practices and other discriminatory structures in Brazil”, the letter states.
In a response to the letter, a spokesperson for the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo claims that “quick comparative research” reveals that workers have fair market compensation. The spokesperson’s statement also refutes other claims that the biennial has not been compliant with labour legislations.
The foundation worked with the São Paulo-based consultants Mais Diferenças, an organisation active since 2005 that handles labour practices for industries in the private and public sectors, such as universities and human rights organisations. In addition, organisers claim that the biennial is wheelchair accessible and that requests for use of a workers’ social name have been met. The latter was “the result of an elaborate discussion about practices at the foundation”, the spokesperson said in a statement. “Records, badges, official documents and all references to the person respect their social name.”
The spokesperson’s statement adds: “Although the accusations made were not directed at the departments in protocol manner, and have not been addressed to the channels that exist for this purpose, the foundation will investigate the claims and adopt, if applicable, the appropriate measures.”

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