Panama 2026

Title: Tropical Hyperstition
Commissioner: Gianni Bianchini
Curators: Ana Elizabeth González, Mónica Kupfer
Exhibitors: Antonio José Guzmán and Iva Jankovic – Messengers of the Sun

“Tropical Hyperstition” presents a new body of work by artists Antonio José Guzmán and Iva Jankovic (a duo known as Messengers of the Sun), exploring historical memory, displacement, and cultural resilience in relation to the construction of the Panama Canal. Drawing on the concept of “tropical hyperstition”, the project weaves together archival material, speculative narratives, and material practices to reflect on submerged histories and their lasting impact on the nation’s contemporary identity.

The exhibition engages with the memory of communities displaced during the creation of the Canal Zone, referencing towns such as Chagres, Emperador, and Gorgona. Through layered visual languages and varied textures, the artists construct a space where past and present intersect, inviting audiences to reconsider official histories and their omissions.

Positioned within a broader dialogue on the Black Atlantic, migration, and colonial legacies, “Tropical Hyperstition” proposes an alternative reading of history—one that foregrounds lived experience, resistance, and the persistence of cultural memory. The project marks Panama’s continued participation in the Biennale as a collective national effort to amplify its contemporary artistic voices on an international stage.