Olivia Merquior
Olivia Merquior is president of the Brazilian Fashion Council, founder of IARA and creator of BRIFW. She has worked for over 20 years in the development of fashion as culture and part of the creative economy, connecting brands, institutions, governments and professionals. She is content director of Rio Fashion Week and the fashion vertical of Rio2C, in addition to developing training projects, international relations and sectoral articulation aimed at strengthening Brazilian fashion.
I'm Still Here: Talent Beyond the Hype
Not every innovation survives the test of time. Since 2020, the creative market has gone through cycles of enthusiasm around the metaverse, NFTs, blockchain and, more recently, artificial intelligence. In this conversation, multidisciplinary artist Je Kos and artist, musician and developer Matheus Leston revisit their trajectories alongside Olivia Merquior, BRIFW curator, to reflect on what remains when the hype passes. Drawing from BRIFW's seven years and the evolution of their own careers, the panel discusses how new technologies have shifted from being a trend to becoming creative tools, and what paths are emerging for the future of the creative economy.
The Pitch: The 4 Minutes That Can Change Your Life
Ten talents, only two minutes each. The Pitch is where you need to be to discover what's newest in the creative market. In this iconic partnership, BRIFW + FFW create a space within SP2B to reveal new names in fashion and creative industries. 10 projects selected through open call that now come to present themselves in just 2 minutes to an audience formed by professionals from the creative industry, during BRIFW7, at SP2B, with presentation and immediate feedback, directly from the FFW and BRIFW team. A unique opportunity to see up close who is building the next chapters of fashion, art, technology and culture and be part of an ecosystem driven by creativity and innovation.
Bye Bye Brazil: Brazilian Art and Technology for the World
What leads some of Brazil's leading digital artists to build their careers outside the country? In this conversation, Gabriel Massan and Bernardo Martins (Figa) share their trajectories in the international scene and discuss the challenges of producing art with artificial intelligence, computer graphics and other emerging technologies in a market that is still seeking to recognize these languages. Between experiences in museums, collaborations with global brands and the permanent relationship with Brazil, the panel reflects on authorship, international circulation, creative economy and the future of Brazilian digital art.
HER: Reality in Times of AI
Artificial intelligence is no longer a promise of the future—it has become part of everyday life. But how do different generations interpret this transformation? In this conversation, Giselle Beiguelman—artist, Full Professor at FAU-USP, and one of Brazil’s leading researchers in digital culture, memory, and image technologies—shares the stage with Catharina Doria, an AI ethics specialist, founder of The AI Survival Club, and one of Brazil’s most influential voices on artificial intelligence. Moderated by Olivia Merquior, the session brings together two complementary perspectives on one of the most pressing issues of our time. While Giselle, author of more than 200 publications on digital culture whose works are part of major international museum collections, has spent decades examining the impact of technology on art and society, Catharina—recognized in 2023 as one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics—focuses on democratizing knowledge about artificial intelligence and fostering critical thinking around algorithmic systems. Together, they reflect on creativity, ethics, authorship, and the challenges artificial intelligence poses to contemporary culture, connecting different generations around the future of technology.