Cuauhtémoc Medina Appointed Curator of the 25th Bienal de Arte Paiz

Cuauhtémoc Medina has been appointed curator of the 25th Bienal de Arte Paiz, which will take place from November 2027 to February 2028 across Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala.

Organised by Fundación Paiz, the forthcoming edition marks a significant moment in the Bienal’s history, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Fundación Paiz and bringing the Bienal to its 25th edition.

About the Bienal de Arte Paiz

Founded in 1978, the Bienal de Arte Paiz has developed alongside the changing cultural landscape of Guatemala and the wider region. Its first 15 editions followed an open competition model before the Bienal adopted a curatorial format in 2008.

Since then, invited national and international curators have developed its programme in dialogue with artists and cultural contexts from Guatemala, Latin America and beyond.

The appointment comes during a period of continued institutional development for Fundación Paiz. During the Bienal’s 24th edition, the organisation opened the Centro Cultural Fundación Paiz at its Guatemala City headquarters. The permanent space presents works from Fundación Paiz’s collection of more than 300 pieces alongside temporary projects.

About Cuauhtémoc Medina

Born in Mexico City in 1965, Cuauhtémoc Medina is an art critic, curator and historian. He holds a PhD in Art History and Theory from the University of Essex and a bachelor’s degree in History from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

Since 1993, Medina has been a researcher at UNAM’s Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas. Between 2002 and 2008, he was Tate Modern’s first Associate Curator of Latin American Art Collections, and from 2013 to 2024 he served as Chief Curator at the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC) in Mexico City.

His extensive experience with biennials includes serving as Head Curator of Manifesta 9 in Genk in 2012, in association with Katerina Gregos and Dawn Ades, and as Chief Curator of the 12th Shanghai Biennale in 2018.

Medina is also a recipient of the Walter Hopps Award for Curatorial Achievement, presented by the Menil Collection in recognition of his curatorial practice.

Throughout his career, he has developed exhibitions and projects with artists including Francis Alÿs, Andrea Fraser, Carlos Amorales, Harun Farocki, Jill Magid, Jeremy Deller, Ai Weiwei, Beatriz González, Kader Attia, Magali Lara and Raqs Media Collective.

Alongside his curatorial work, Medina has written and edited extensively on contemporary art, with a particular engagement with artistic practices and critical perspectives emerging from Latin America and the Global South.

Reflecting on his appointment, Medina said:

“For half a century, the Paiz Art Biennial has been a benchmark for art in the Central American region and, above all, it has served the Guatemalan public as a vehicle for contemporary thought and sensitivity. It is a great honour, but also a challenge, to be in charge of curating the Paiz Art Biennial on this very special occasion. I hope that, with the support of the Biennial team and the artists, we can produce something worth remembering.”

The 25th Bienal de Arte Paiz will take place across Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala from November 2027 to February 2028. Further details about its curatorial framework, participating artists and programme are expected to be announced as the edition develops.