Pivô Celebrates 15 Years with Its Annual Auction, Reaffirming a Collective Model for Supporting Contemporary Artistic Production

From August 29 to September 13, Pivô will hold the 15th edition of its Annual Auction, an initiative that, over the past fifteen years, has established itself as one of the leading gatherings of Brazil’s contemporary art community. Bringing together more than 100 artists from different generations, the event celebrates the institution’s 15th anniversary while reaffirming a collaborative model that mobilizes artists, galleries, collectors, institutions, and the public around the shared commitment to strengthening contemporary artistic production.

This year’s edition features artists including Caroline Ricca Lee, Eustaquio Neves, Kelton Campos Fausto, Marina Perez Simão, Rafael de Almeida, Regina Parra, Rivane Neuenschwander, Sonia Gomes, and Thix. The complete list of participating artists and works will be available at leilaoanualpivo.org.br starting August 24, and all works will be on view at Pivô Copan throughout the duration of the event. The traditional online auction will take place on September 5 at 4 pm (BRT) via the iArremate platform, with simultaneous live streaming on Pivô’s channels and at Pivô Boulevard in Salvador.

As is customary at the Pivô Annual Auction, bidding starts at 30% below market value. Participating artists may choose to donate the full proceeds of the sale or receive up to 50% of the final hammer price. Beyond serving as a fundraising initiative, the Annual Auction has become a space for encounter and collaboration. With each edition, works donated by artists enter new networks of circulation, reach new collectors, and generate resources that directly support artist residencies, commissions, exhibitions, research, and public programs.

“An auction can be many things at once. For us, above all, it is a gathering—a moment when artists, collectors, and friends of Pivô come together around a shared gesture. Each work embarks on a new journey, finds new collectors, and strengthens a network built over fifteen years, allowing artists to continue researching, producing, and sharing their work,” says Fernanda Brenner, Pivô’s Artistic Director and Founder.

Over these fifteen years, the art system has undergone profound transformations. The circulation of artworks has accelerated, institutional models have shifted, and the logic of attention has increasingly competed with the time required for artistic research. Within this context, Pivô has chosen to continue investing in what requires continuity: long-term relationships with artists, processes that extend beyond the opening of an exhibition, and collaborations capable of supporting different stages of contemporary artistic practice.

“We have learned that the role of an institution is to create the conditions that enable artists to create and act. Standing alongside those who produce art—especially in moments of uncertainty and risk—has guided Pivô since its founding,” Brenner adds.

The 2026 edition also marks Pivô’s last major public initiative before renovations begin at its headquarters in the Copan Building, with reopening scheduled for the second half of 2027. At the same time, it reaffirms an institution whose work extends beyond its physical spaces, connecting São Paulo, Salvador, and an expanding network of artists, researchers, and partner institutions.

During the renovation of Pivô Copan, the São Paulo team will continue its activities at iBT – Instituto Brasileiro de Teatro, which will also host the next edition of Pivô Pesquisa – Performative Practices, Pivô’s artistic residency program. For the first time, the program launched an open call specifically aimed at artists from Brazil’s Central-West, North, Northeast, and South regions whose primary medium of research is the body.

This network-based expansion has been underway since 2023 with the creation of Pivô Boulevard in Salvador, broadening the circulation of artists, curators, and researchers across different territories. In 2027, this presence in Salvador will enter a new chapter with the opening of Pivô Coaty, a building designed by Lina Bo Bardi and João Filgueiras Lima (Lelé), with the participation of architects Marcelo Ferraz and Marcelo Suzuki.

For Jaqueline Santiago, Pivô’s Executive Director, the Annual Auction has become one of the institution’s most important moments of community mobilization.

“The Auction brings together artists, galleries, collectors, curators, partners, and audiences around a shared commitment to contemporary art. Each edition strengthens a network built over fifteen years and demonstrates that sustaining a space like Pivô means creating the conditions for artists to research, produce, and circulate their work. The Auction’s impact extends far beyond the institution itself, resonating throughout the entire ecosystem of artistic production and circulation,” she says.

Over the course of its 14 previous editions, the Pivô Annual Auction has brought together more than 600 artists and nearly 1,700 donated works, establishing itself as one of the leading initiatives for mobilizing Brazil’s artistic community in support of an independent cultural institution.

15th Annual Pivô Auction

Exhibition
August 29 – September 13, 2026
Pivô Copan
Copan Building – Av. Ipiranga, 200, Store 54, São Paulo, Brazil
Monday–Saturday: 1 pm–7 pm
Sundays and public holidays: 12 pm–6 pm
Free admission.
On the day of the auction (September 5), the exhibition will be open until 3 pm.

Online Auction
September 5, 2026, at 4 pm (BRT)
Via iArremate