Exhibitions
'The Tree of the World': the Paiz Art Biennial unfolds its roots and branches in Guatemala
The 24th Paiz Art Biennial, one of Central America's most emblematic cultural events, will run from November 6, 2025, to February 15, 2026, in Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala. This year's edition, titled "The Tree of the World ," presents the biennial as a symbolic map where ancient roots and contemporary branches converge, inviting reflection on the invisible bonds that unite our histories, our communities, and our deepest spiritualities.
This is a large-scale biennial, bringing together forty-six artists and collectives across ten emblematic venues. These spaces include the National Museum of Art of Guatemala, the Spanish Cultural Center, Casa Ibargüen, and La Nueva Fábrica, among others. One of the most notable aspects of this edition is its strong emphasis on performance art, which takes center stage within the artistic program. Under the curatorial vision of Italian Eugenio Viola, artistic director of the Museum of Modern Art of Bogotá (MAMBO), each artist contributes their own voice—ranging from the ancestral to the technological, from the intimate to the collective—to engage in a dialogue around a universal figure: the tree as the axis that sustains and connects all possible worlds.
The World Tree germinates from multiple cosmogonies, with particular resonance in the Mayan tradition. In these mythical texts, the tree stands as a connector of three realms: the underworld, the earth we inhabit, and the sky we aspire to. The biennial reclaims this symbol to interpret our time: a moment marked by tensions and fractures, where art can become a common trunk capable of reminding us of empathy, listening, and the possibility of encounter.
The proposal unfolds in an unprecedented convergence: archaeological pieces —masks, sculptures, incense burners and other Mayan reliquaries— will share space with contemporary creations, generating a dialogue between centuries that reignites the memory of the territory and its multiple identities.
True to its metaphor, the biennial branches out like a vast cultural rhizome. Museums, cultural centers, plazas, and historic buildings will all be part of the route, allowing the artworks to take root in the city and resonate with its people. The exhibition space expands beyond the galleries, becoming a living, breathing territory.
Recognized as the second oldest biennial in the Americas, the Paiz Biennial reaffirms its commitment to inclusion and intercultural dialogue. This edition highlights Indigenous artists, Afro-descendant artists, women creators, and experimental collectives—voices from diverse geographies that, together, weave an artistic tapestry for times that seek bridges rather than borders.
The 24th Paiz Art Biennial emerges as a space for reconnection: with the past that sustains us, with the land we inhabit, with those who share our time, and above all, with our own questions. It is an experience that celebrates the complexity of identity, the beauty of cultural fusion, and the transformative power of art.
