SITE SANTA FE International (formerly the SITE SANTA FE Biennial) just announced the title and curatorial direction for the upcoming 12th edition—its first event since 2018. Leading the biennial is Cecilia Alemani, celebrated curator of the 59th Venice Biennale and director and chief curator of the High Line in New York. Titled “Once Within a Time,” this edition, conceived by Alemani, aims to transcend a single, central theme to instead embrace a polyphony of voices and practices that anchor the exhibition in the unique territory of Santa Fe, taking inspiration from local stories, myths and lived experiences tied to the history of the region. Informed by the concept of circular history, the exhibition draws its title from the film by Godfrey Reggio, Santa Fe’s legendary experimental filmmaker, and similarly pursues a storytelling approach that combines the fantastical and the mundane, painting a vivid portrait of the human experience across time and personal narrative.
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Following the announcement, Observer spoke with Alemani to learn more about her vision for this new biennial, including her research into Santa Fe’s cultural history and natural heritage and how her selection of artists will engage with it. The exhibition will present the work of around 60-70 artists, spanning historical and contemporary figures, with narratives centered on the lives of local individuals. As Alemani highlighted in different moments of our conversation, a significant emphasis has been placed on storytelling and personal connections, touching on themes like energy, spiritualism and the complex cultural heritage of Santa Fe.
The main venue for the exhibition will be the SITE SANTA FE building, constructed in 1995 specifically to host the biennial—the first of its kind in the United States. Since then, SITE has held eleven international biennials and more than 130 contemporary art exhibitions while also growing its role in the community with extensive year-round programming. However, the 12th edition will be the first to venture beyond SITE’s galleries, integrating programming into the city and its storied landscape, and connecting deeply with its layered history and cultural heritage. “I wanted to tap into the cultural substrate that is already there,” Alemani told Observer. “There are incredible institutions, even if they aren’t contemporary art-focused. For instance, there’s the Folk Art Museum—one of the most incredible museums I’ve ever seen.”
This edition will feature diverse works and installations spread across partner institutions and unconventional spaces, including vacant storefronts, warehouses, open-air parks, toy shops, and even haunted hotels, immersing visitors in Santa Fe’s rich history and stratified heritage. “The idea,” Alemani explained, “is that visitors can explore the city of Santa Fe and discover places that, even for locals, they might not usually connect with contemporary art.” Partnering institutions announced include the Museum of International Folk Art, the New Mexico History Museum, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian and the New Mexico Military Museum.
In this way, the Biennial will be firmly rooted in the Santa Fe territory and community, which itself provides the primary narrative—or rather, the multitude of narratives—underpinning this edition. “I didn’t want to go in a place that was so foreign to me and have a big theme,” Alemani said. “I thought that the last few biennials were very much driven by the idea of site and land and ecology and the notion of Americas. I wanted to do something different and acknowledge this amazing cultural effervescence.”
The exhibition, she continued, will draw particular inspiration from the lives of the diversity of individuals who have called Santa Fe home. It is famously associated with Georgia O’Keeffe, but the biennial will reach beyond celebrity artists. Storytelling and the lived experiences of these figures—whether real or fictional—will serve as guiding forces and the artists invited will present works that connect with or respond to elements of Santa Fe’s distinctive heritage, weaving local narratives into their creations.
“You will see a contemporary art exhibition, but something is slightly different. When you get close to the art, you will see that it is the telling of the story of a person. They might be a healer, a writer or even just a character from a book, and this could be illustrated with a story, but also maybe with an object they left behind. It doesn’t need to be an art object. It can be like a matchbox in their pocket or a cup they were drinking from. That story will let you see the art around you differently.”
The biennial will explore a range of themes through these personal narratives of the people who have inhabited, traversed or otherwise left their mark upon the Santa Fe region over the centuries, tapping into the heritage of the region. Among themes to be explored are spiritualism and energy—core reasons many are drawn to Santa Fe. However, as Alemani noted, the work exhibited will unfold in multiple dimensions, touching also on significant topics like nuclear power and uranium, which hold relevance for the area.
She was particularly captivated by Santa Fe’s richly layered and multicultural identity during her process of study and research. “Here you have three cultures: you have the Indigenous people who have been here forever, you have a strong Spanish heritage, and then there are the Anglo, or American, influences. However, there are many layers beyond these, including a significant immigrant community from Mexico. I want to showcase the multifaceted reality of this place.” Through deeply personal stories, the exhibition will introduce these diverse perspectives, creating a “polyphony,” as Alemani describes it—a chorus of voices offering visitors glimpses into pivotal moments in New Mexico’s history and Santa Fe’s cultural ecosystem, along with an immersive experience of the community and the challenges it faces today.
To quote Dr. Estevan Rael-Gálvez, a foremost voice on the histories and cultures of New Mexico, “Beyond the epic and grand, including the terrible and traumatic, there are also the small everyday stories, all reflecting survival and endless dignity and strength, as well as beauty and joy. While it is critical to trace the jagged edges of what New Mexico tells, it is also important to recognize that New Mexico’s collective identity is both born out of the past and nourished by it as well. There is a delicacy, but also strength in what we do to change what we are collectively.”
In choosing artists, Alemani explained she wanted to invite some whom she hadn’t had the chance to work with in Venice while also keeping a close eye on the local art scene. “There are a lot of artists connected to New Mexico, but SITE SANTA Fe will maintain an international scope,” she noted. To further contextualize and anchor the biennial in the region, Alemani has selected a few historical works that, alongside new pieces by contemporary artists, will reactivate forgotten tales and objects.
The 12th edition of the SITE SANTA FE International opens on June 25 and runs through early 2026 at SITE SANTA FE and around the city. The list of participating artists will be announced in February 2025.