Akinbode Akinbiyi has been capturing urban life since the 1970s using a Rolleiflex camera. He has worked in Lagos, Cairo, Berlin, Dakar, Johannesburg, Chicago, and Bamako. For this Bienal, he explored São Paulo, particularly the Bom Retiro neighborhood, where some of his works are also exhibited at Casa do Povo concurrently with the Bienal, as well as República, Sé, and Vila Madalena.
He is a nomadic artist and photographer, constantly scanning his immediate surroundings, always in search. Everything and anything is of interest, from the most insignificant discarded trash to the majestic reach of a magnificent tree. Narratives and stories are his main concern, but also the silent cadences of the unheard, the almost hidden.
Every moment is precious, acute. Something seen under a specific light evolves, and in the next moment transforms into another image. In this way, the act of wandering is highly intuitive—a deep feeling that emanates from the solar plexus, from somewhere within.
In this Bienal, we are presented with a set of 24 large black-and-white photographs, printed on fabric measuring two by two meters, suspended so that visitors can move among them. Each side of the textile mesh displays a different image, revealed as we navigate the exhibition space.
In one image, a utility pole carries a tangle of electric wires; in another, the afternoon light illuminates the facades of an old building; there are also scenes of a marching band rehearsal, interrupted chess games, and young people practicing boxing outdoors.
The suspended fabric gives the images a soft texture, and the double-sided format encourages discovery with every step. As we move through the ensemble, we replicate the artist’s gesture: to walk, observe, and absorb part of the city’s daily life—stories that reveal themselves to the attentive passerby.