Curated by Hans Ibelings and John Zeppetelli, with Daniel Madeira as assistant curator, the 2026 Anozero – Bienal de Coimbra, entitled To hold, to give, to receive, proposes an exhibition grounded in reciprocity, care and transformation.
Drawing on the Proto-Indo-European root ghabh, the origin of the word ‘habitat’, the curatorial framework explores the fundamental gestures of holding and receiving as conditions that shape both artistic practice and social life. Informed by Russian philosopher Peter Kropotkin’s concept of mutual aid, the biennial challenges hierarchical structures and instead foregrounds collaboration and exchange.
The programme will bring together a wide range of artists, filmmakers and research-based practitioners whose works engage critically with political, social and spatial conditions. Among them, Taysir Batniji, Forensic Architecture and Shilpa Gupta, reflecting the biennial’s broader commitment to examining how art can engage with and reshape contemporary realities.
The biennial will take place across multiple venues including, Coimbra, Portugal, with the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova at its centre. Extending beyond the historical site ,the exhibition will span a network of locations including Círculo Sede, Círculo Sereia, Sala da Cidade, Edifício Chiado – Museu da Cidade de Coimbra, Convento São Francisco, Jardim Botânico and MUSEU.
Participating Artists:
Chantal Akerman
Christian Andersson
Jonathas de Andrade
Vasco Araújo
arquivo mangue
Lina Bo Bardi
Taysir Batniji
Frédéric Bruly Bouabré
Arno Brandlhuber e/and Constanze Haas
Inês Brites
Adam Broomberg e/and Rafael Gonzalez
Alberto Carneiro
Centrala
Rui Chafes e/and Candura
Julian Charrière
Sandro Chia
Colectivo SEM-FIM
Luisa Cunha
Eva Davidova
Thomas Demand
Forensic Architecture
Arturo Franco
Nan Goldin
Shilpa Gupta
Inside Outside
Kosmos
Juha Lilja
Mário Macilau
Fina Miralles
Adriana Molder
Office of Adrian Phiffer
Pezo von Ellrichshausen
João Salema
Taryn Simon
Charles Stankievech
Mungo Thomson
Maria Trabulo
Pedro Vaz
Carlos Ferrand Zavala
Anarchism and Planning
Three rooms
Xenia — aNC
Atelier Local
Ateliermob
Colectivo Warehouse
Fala, fr-ia, JQTS
Nuno Valentim
Paula Santos
Pedra Líquida
To hold, to give, to receive will run from 11 April until 5 July
