Olu Oguibe is an interdisciplinary artist and scholar renowned for his compelling exploration of identity, migration, and social justice. His practice often intertwines personal narrative with broader historical and socio-political issues. For the 36th Bienal de São Paulo, Oguibe presented a monument in three Brazilian cities—São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belém—which aimed to spotlight ongoing injustices against Indigenous communities in Brazil and worldwide. The monument’s presence was intended to serve as a highly visible acknowledgment of Indigenous struggles, notably addressing the persistent encroachment on Indigenous lands due to agricultural, logging, and mining interests, alongside the violent repression Indigenous activists frequently endure. Large billboards, clearly visible from afar in the urban horizon and surrounding areas, featured the provoking question, Must You Take Everything That Belongs to Indigenous People? (2025), translated respectively into Nheengatu, Portuguese, and English. In Berlin, the question features on HKW’s Northern façade, overlooking the Spree river and the office of the Federal Chancellor. The project integrates activism with dialogue to document and disseminate ongoing Indigenous struggles, fostering broader awareness and solidarity. The monument exemplifies Oguibe’s consistent commitment to art as a vehicle for social reflection, change, and empowerment, highlighting the artist’s enduring dedication to confronting pressing global concerns through transformative artistic expression.

WORK IN THE EXHIBITION:

Must You Take Everything That Belongs to Indigenous People? (2025), banner, dimensions variable. Commissioned by Fundação Bienal de São Paulo for the 36th Bienal, adaptation in Berlin commissioned by Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW)