Francis Alÿs, Children's Game #7 Hoop and Stick (Bamiyan, Afghanistan), 2010. Photo: Ajmal Maiwandi

Incerteza Viva (Live Uncertainty), the title and theme for the 32nd edition of the Bienal de São Paulo, is particularly apt as Brazil suffers its highest rate of inflation for 12 years, a severe recession and political instability from the latest corruption scandals. “Art feeds off uncertainty, chance, improvisation and speculation,” says the biennial’s curator, Jochen Volz, in a statement released this week.

The organisers also announced a preliminary list of 54 artists for next year’s biennial (10 September-12 December 2016). Among them will be 13 Brazilian artists and collectives, including Bené Fonteles, Erika Verzutti and Opavivará, as well as international artists such as Francis Alÿs, Pierre Huyghe, Pope.L and Hito Steyerl.

Volz, who is the former head of programmes at London’s Serpentine Galleries and the artistic director of the Instituto Inhotim in southeast Brazil, has assembled a small team of international curators to help select the remaining artists as they aim for around 90 in total. The biennial will take place at the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion, and a number of projects will be commissioned for the surrounding Ibirapuera Park.