On the upper level of the Punta della Dogana, Brazilian artist Paulo Nazareth invites visitors to follow him on his journeys. For more than fifteen years, he has been methodically traveling across the Americas and the African continent, walking mostly barefoot to step on the same soil and pay respect to his enslaved ancestors who were deprived of footwear as a symbol of subjugation.

In opposition to the glamour of Venice at approaches the Biennale, and with the intention of questioning the value of territories considered centres and peripheries, the artist will simultaneously inaugurate the exhibition Algebra in Alto de Veneza (a neighbourhood in Ribeirão das Neves), Minas Gerais. The exhibition directly involves the local community, generating spaces for reflection on the hidden equations of mobility, exploitation and survival. It unfolds across multiple locations, including two prisons in Ribeirão das Neves and Belo Horizonte; Casa Mãe and Casa Borun in Alto do Palmital; and EMBAIXADA in Belo Horizonte.

Additional information is available at the following link

Images: installation views, “Paulo Nazareth. Algebra”, 2026, Punta della Dogana, Venice, Italy.
Photos: Jacopo Salvi © Palazzo Grassi, Pinault Collection