From September 20 to November 7, 2025, Bogotá will host the inaugural International Biennial of Art and the City, BOG25. With the theme Essays on Happiness, the event will challenge traditional notions of well-being, featuring over 100 artists in exhibitions and public interventions along the Vicachá River.
From September 20 to November 7, 2025, Bogotá will transform into a global hub for artistic discourse as it hosts the inaugural International Biennial of Art and the City, BOG25.
With the theme Essays on Happiness, the biennial will explore happiness not as an idealized state but as a critical urban issue, delving into its complexities within a city like Bogotá.
Curated by renowned experts María Wills, José Roca, Jaime Cerón, and Elkin Rubiano, the event will challenge conventional notions of happiness. “We are not presenting happiness as an unquestioned aspiration but as a social construct that deserves scrutiny,” explains Rubiano.
The curatorial framework will address themes such as pleasure and leisure, rituality and nature, social stratifications, and the city as a promise of happiness, particularly in relation to migration and urban aspirations.
BOG25 brings together over 100 artists from across the globe, including Héctor Zamora (Mexico), Ximena Garrido-Lecca (Peru), and Seba Calfuqueo (Chile), alongside Colombian luminaries like Beatriz González, María Fernanda Cardoso, and Iván Argote. The biennial will also commission exclusive new works, fostering artistic experimentation beyond market constraints.
Exhibition spaces will follow the path of the Vicachá River, integrating key sites such as the Palacio de San Francisco, Museo de Bogotá, and the Avenida Jiménez environmental corridor.
Public art interventions and satellite venues, including the Museo de la Ciudad Autoconstruida and Teatro del Parque Nacional, will further expand the biennial’s reach, ensuring accessibility and engagement with diverse audiences.
With a $7 billion peso investment from the Secretary of Culture, Recreation, and Sports, BOG25 aims to be more than an art event—it is a catalyst for reimagining the city’s relationship with well-being. “Happiness is often overlooked in artistic discourse, yet in a city like Bogotá, it is a crucial question,” says Rubiano.
As a biennial counterpart to the International Festival of Living Arts (FIAF) held in even-numbered years, BOG25 will establish itself as a pivotal moment for cultural dialogue in Colombia.
Stay updated on BOG25 and the future of art in Bogotá. Share this article and join the conversation on happiness in urban spaces.
Ingresa los siguientes datos y comienza a disfrutar de nuestra revista digital.