The journey begins with the 1st Bienal (1951), whose poster by Antônio Maluf became a landmark in Brazilian design. Maluf’s composition of concentric radiating forms introduced a kinetic modernism that communicated dynamism, optimism, and the spirit of a country eager to assert itself as a cultural capital after World War II. It remains one of the most celebrated posters in Brazilian graphic history.

The 3rd Bienal (1955) poster, designed by Alexandre Wollner, marked a turning point. A student of Max Bill, Wollner introduced a rationalist clarity that aligned Brazilian graphic design with the principles of international modernism. His composition of progressive geometric forms emphasized order, precision, and abstraction, encapsulating the Bienal’s desire to present São Paulo as a stage for cutting-edge dialogue between art and design.

The 14th Bienal (1977) carried a more openly political message. Designed by Regis Cardieri, its thirteen torn strips of white paper symbolized censorship under the military dictatorship. At once simple and forceful, the design became a statement of resistance, reminding viewers that the Bienal, even constrained, remained one of the few spaces where artistic freedom could still resonate.

Finally, the 31st Bienal (2014) presented a radical contemporary shift. The poster, designed by Indian artist Prabhakar Pachpute, depicted a tower powered by human bodies, framed with hand-drawn typography. Developed in collaboration with designers Aninha de Carvalho and Felipe Kaizer, the identity echoed themes of labor, collectivity, and global interconnection. It mirrored the Bienal’s curatorial concept, “How to Talk About Things That Don’t Exist,” and showed how poster design had evolved into a form of visual storytelling deeply embedded in the exhibition’s critical discourse.