History of the Biennial of Havana. Universes in Universe

The Biennial of Havana: Brief History
		1st Biennial, May - June, 1984 At the beginning, focused on Latinamerica and the Caribbean. Aprox. 800 artists and about 2.000 works. Many awards were given, first price to Arnold Belkin (Mexico). Catalog in Spanish: 320 pages, black/white pictures, only short introductory text from Eliseo Diego, short biographies from the artists. Appendix to the catalog (90 pages). International Symposium about Wifredo Lam.
		2nd Biennial, November 26 - December 31, 1986 From now on, Africa and Asia are also included. More than 2.400 artworks from 690 artists from 57 countries. 10 awards were given. A large number of parallel shows, meetings, conferences, workshops etc. Catalog in Spanisch: 570 pages, black/white pictures, detailed program, artists' biographies, only welcome text by Armando Hart, Minister of Culture. Numerous Bulletins with complementary information. International conference on Caribbean Art, published 1989 by Editorial Letras Cubanas (Spanish).
		3rd Biennial, November 1 - December 31, 1989 Main theme: Tradition and Contemporaneity. About 300 artists with 850 artworks from 41 countries; no awards for the first time. A great number of parallel shows, meetings, workshops etc. Catalog: 370 pages, black/white pictures. Essays by Llilian Llanes (Director of the Centro Wifredo Lam), Juan Acha, Rashid M. Diab, Frederico Moraes, Roberto Segre; introductory texts to the particular thematic sectors; short biographies (Spanish) International conference: Tradition and Contemporaneity in the Arts of the Third World.
		4th Biennale, November 16 - December 31, 1991 Main theme: The Challenge of Colonisation. About 150 artists from 40 countries from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latinamerica, the Middle East, as well as minorities in other regions. Special shows as part of the Biennial: Latin American Architecture, Aboriginal Craftworks from Brazil, Feather Art from Bolivia, Australian Aboriginal Painting and Indian Art from Canada. Extense program all around Havana. Catalog: 300 pages, black/white pictures, short biographies. A number of texts to encompassing themes and related to the diferent exhibitions; a.o. by Llilian Llanes, Eduardo Subirats, Luis Camnitzer, Jorge Glusberg, Pierre Gaudibert, Iván de la Nuez, Brahim Ben Hossain Alaoui, Nelly Richard, Nelson Herrera Ysla. (Spanish) International conference: Cultural Domination and Alternatives to Colonisation.
		5th Biennial, May 6 - June 30, 1994 Main theme: Art, Society, Reflexion. 5 topics: 1. Fragmented Spaces - Art, Power and Marginalisation; 2. The Other Shore - Migrations; 3. Apropriations und Crossovers - Hybridisations, Cultural Mixtures; 4. Environments and Circumstances - Ecology, Conditions of Life; 5. Art and the Individual at the Periphery of Posmodernity. About 240 artists from more than 40 countries. Parallel shows and events. Catalog: 310 pages, color and black & white pictures. Essays and texts to particular topics, a.o. by: Llilian Llanes, Nelson Herrera Ysla, Néstor García Canclini, Carla Stellweg, Ery Camara, Eugenio Valdés Figueroa, Hilda María Rodríguez, Ibis Hernández and Margarita Sánchez, Magda I. González, Juan Antonio Molina. (Spanish) A selection from the Biennial was exhibited at Ludwig Forum for International Art in Aachen/Germany in September 1994 (catalog in German)

Home Info History Theme Opinions Artists Exhibit tour

Havana Art Scene