Cuauhtémoc Medina to Curate 2027 Bienal de Arte Paiz
Mexican curator and art historian Cuauhtémoc Medina will organize the 25th edition of Guatemala's Bienal de Arte Paiz, scheduled to run from November 2027
Cuauhtémoc Medina has been appointed curator of the 2027 Bienal de Arte Paiz in Guatemala. The Mexico City-based curator will organize the 25th edition of the event, which is scheduled to run from November 2027 through February 2028 in Guatemala City and Antigua.
In a statement reported by ARTnews, Medina called the appointment a great honor and a challenge. He said the biennial has historically served Guatemalan audiences as a vehicle for contemporary thinking and sensibility. Medina expressed hope that, with the help of the staff and artists, the event would produce something worth remembering.
The Biennial's Background
The event is organized by the Fundación Paiz para la Educación y la Cultura. This family foundation initially focused on awarding education scholarships and supporting soup kitchens. It launched the Bienal de Arte Paiz in 1978.
Sonia Hutarte, the foundation's executive director, outlined her expectations for the upcoming edition. She hopes it will ask what a biennial should mean today and what Guatemala can contribute to conversations shaping contemporary art. Hutarte expects Medina to oversee an event that produces knowledge, generates meaningful dialogue, and creates a legacy extending beyond the exhibition itself.
Curator's Career Profile
Medina is a prominent figure in the art world. He served as the first associate curator of Latin American art at London's Tate Modern from 2002 to 2008. More recently, from 2013 to 2024, he was chief curator at MUAC, the museum affiliated with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He has held a full-time position at UNAM's Institute of Aesthetic Research since 1993.
His curatorial work at MUAC included exhibitions featuring international artists such as Harun Farocki, Carlos Amorales, Ai Weiwei, Beatriz González, Raqs Media Collective, and Kader Attia. He has also curated major international biennials.
Notable Past Projects
Medina's past projects include curating the 9th edition of Manifesta in Belgium in 2012 and the 12th Shanghai Biennial in 2018. His achievements have been recognized with awards, including the Walter Hopps Award for Curatorial Achievement in 2012, which came with a $15,000 prize.
The upcoming edition marks a milestone as the biennial's 25th iteration. The event will unfold across two Guatemalan cities, with Antigua located approximately 25 miles west of the capital, Guatemala City.
