Texts by


Lawrence Alloway, George Baker, Carlos Basualdo, Michael
This  anthology  on  the  global 
Brenson, Daniel Buren, Charlotte Bydler, John Clark, Okwui
Enwezor, Bruce W. Ferguson, Elena Filipovic, Marieke van
Hal, Maria Hlavajova, Milena M. Hoegsberg, Ranjit Hoskote, bien nial  phenomenon  includes 
Caroline A. Jones, Yacouba Konaté, Oliver Marchart, Sabine
Marschall, Federica Martini, Vittoria Martini, Thomas
McEvilley, Gerardo Mosquera, Rafal Niemojewski, Paul
seminal  republished  texts  col-
O’Neill, Solveig Øvstebø, Marian Pastor Roces, Donald
Preziosi, Raqs Media Collective, Simon Sheikh, Vinicius lected  from  around  the  world 
Spricigo, Jan Verwoert

as  well  as  newly   com missioned 

contributions  by  the  leading  scholars,  curators,  critics,  and  thinkers  of 

 bien nials today. By tracing the genealogy of the perennial exhibition format 

(understood  here  as  including  not  only  biennials  but  also  other  recurrent 

 exhibitions such as triennials and quinquennials) and by examining some of 
 
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from  the  biennials  in  Venice  and  Johannesburg  to  those  of  Havana  and  &%*5&%
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tic, theoretical, political, and other ambitions of such large-scale  exhibition 
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projects against the grain of their resulting exhibitions. Poised to be a vital 
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of these exhibitions and argues for a new history of art written through their 

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analysis.  In  the  process,  this  “reader”  of  essays  explores  perennial  exhi-

bitions and the global hegemonic shifts that made them possible as well as 

their  impact on contemporary art, curating, culture, and art institutions.

512 pages, 41 black-and-white illustrations

CONTENTS

12 Forword by Solveig Øvstebø

16 Elena Filipovic, Marieke van Hal, and Solveig Øvstebø, “Biennialogy”

HISTORIES, PRECEDENTS AND ORIGINS RETHINKING BIENNIALS: MODELS AND FORMATS

32 Donald Preziosi, “The Crystalline Veil and the Phallomorphic Imaginary” (2001) 302 Maria Hlavajova, “How to Biennial: A Consideration of the Biennial in Relation to the Art Institution”
50 Marian Pastor Roces, “Crystal Palace Exhibitions” (2004) XX Ranjit Hoskote, “Biennials of Resistance: Reflections on the Seventh Gwangju Biennial”
66 Caroline A. Jones, “The Historical Origins of the Biennial” XX Elena Filipovic, “The Global White Cube” (2005)
88 Rafal Niemojewski, “Venice or Havana: A Polemic on the Genesis of the Contemporary Biennial” XX Vinicius Spricigo, “Changes in Strategies of (Re)presentation at the São Paulo Biennial”
106 Yacouba Konaté, “The Invention of the Dakar Biennial” (2009)) XX Bruce W. Ferguson and Milena M. Hoegsberg, “Talking and Thinking about Biennials: The Potential of Discursivity”

WHAT IS A BIENNIAL? POTENTIALS, FUNCTIONS AND IDEALS POLITICS OF A GLOBAL ART WORLD

130 Carlos Basualdo, “The Unstable Institution” (2003) 390 Charlotte Bydler, “The Global Art World, Inc.: On the Globalization of Contemporary Art” (2004)
XX Lawrence Alloway, “The Biennial in 1968” (1969) XX Thomas McEvilley, “Arrivederci, Venice: The Third World Biennials” (1993)
XX Simon Sheikh, “Marks of Distinction, Vectors of Possibility: Questions for the Biennial” (2009) XX Gerardo Mosquera, “The Marco Polo Syndrome: Some Problems around Art and Eurocentrism” (1992)
XX John Clark, “Biennials as Structures for the Writing of Art History: The Asian Perspective” XX Okwui Enwezor, “Mega-Exhibitions and the Antinomies of a Transnational Global Form” (2004)
XX Jan Verwoert, “The Curious Case of Biennial Art” XX George Baker, “The Globalization of the False: A Response to Okwui Enwezor” (2004)
XX Gerardo Mosquera, “The Havana Biennial: A Concrete ‘Utopia’” XX Sabine Marschall, “The Impact of the Two Johannesburg Biennials on the Formation of a ‘New South African Art’” (1999)
XX Oliver Marchart, “Hegemonic Shifts and the Politics of Biennialization: The Case of Documenta” (2008)
THE CURATORIAL

220 Daniel Buren, “Exhibition of an Exhibition” (1972) and “Where Are the Artists?” (2004) XX Biographies of contributors
XX Michael Brenson, “The Curator’s Moment: Trends in the Field of International Contemporary Art Exhibitions” (1998) XX Bibliography on biennials
XX Paul O’Neill, “The Curatorial Turn: From Practice to Discourse” (2007) XX Acknowledgments
XX Federica Martini & Vittoria Martini, “Questions of Authorship in Biennial Curating” XX Index
XX Raqs Media Collective, “On Curatorial Responsibility”

6 7
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qn~m\q"u\ "==<\t"mzzu¦q~ m~¢"mzp"\{"~qÚqo\" |{z"u\ "r \ ~q:"Qz\u\xqp"Where Art Worlds 
Meet: Multiple Modernities and the Global Salon, the event was programmed and pre-
qz\qp"n¢"^{nq~\"_\{~~8"m~\u \uo"pu~qo\{~"{r"\tq"><<C"qpu\u{z"{r"\tq"Nuqzzumx:"ctuxq"
there was much constructive critique presented at the symposium about the archaic 
\~ o\ ~q"{r"\tq"bqzuoq"uz \u\ \u{z8"u\ "yu u{z8"mzp"\tq"pqy{s~m|tuo "{r"u\ "| nxuo8"
z{" m\\qy|\ " q~q" ympq" \{" mzmx¢£q" \tq" |{ u\u{z" {r" \tq" bqzuoq" Nuqzzumx" my{zs" \tq"
{\tq~"xm~sq9 omxq"q¡tunu\u{z "\mwuzs"|xmoq"\{pm¢"uz"puÿq~qz\"|m~\ "{r"\tq"sx{nq:"¥q~-
tm| "\tu " m "nqom q"u\ "|xmoq"tmp"mx~qmp¢"nqqz"pqÙzqp"mzp" \m\qp"uz"\tq"" ¢y|{ u y"
|~{s~my"m "oqz\~mx"mzp"tqsqy{zuo:"Moo{~puzs"\{"_\{~~8"\tq"o{zrq~qzoq"~q|~q qz\qp

La Biennale’s contribution to the widening discourse surrounding the prolifera-
\u{z"mzp"\~mz r{~ym\u{z"{r"m"|tqz{yqz{z"u\"uz"qýqo\"o~qm\qp":":":"[zoq"Xm"N"uqzzmxq"
di Venezia was the only exhibition of its kind. Now there are over a  hundred exhi-
bitions deploying variants of the model on which the original Biennale was based.1

_\{~~Ñ "o{yyqz\"~q} u~q "ox{ q~"q¡myuzm\u{z8" uzoq"u\"|~{y xsm\q "\tq"m y|\u{z"

\tm\"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx8"m "uzm s ~m\qp"uz"=DEA8"u "n{\t"~q |{z unxq"r{~"mzp"tm "su¦qz"
~u q"\{"\tq"¦m \"|~{xurq~m\u{z"{r"nuqzzumx "\tm\"tm "\mwqz"|xmoq"mxy{ \"m"oqz\ ~¢"xm\q~:

`tu "m y|\u{z"u "z{\"u {xm\qpG"uzpqqp8"u\"u "m"o{yy{z|xmoq" {"|~q¦mxqz\"\tm\"rq "

even question it.>"eq\"{zq" {zpq~ " t¢"^{nq~\"_\{~~8"r{xx{ uzs"ymz¢"o ~m\{~ 8"o~u\-
ics, and art historians before him, would assume that all of the large-scale shows sub-
q} qz\"\{"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx" q~q"oxqm~x¢"mzp"zqoq m~ux¢"nm qp"{z"u\ "y{pqx:"U\"u "
uzpu | \mnxq"\tm\"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx"y \"nq"mowz{ xqpsqp"m "\tq"Ù~ \"m~\""q¡tunu\u{z"
\{"~qo ~"{z"m"~qs xm~"nm u "mzp"m "m"y{pqx"uz \u\ \u{z"{r"y{pq~zu\¢:"_{yq"{r"\tq"y{ \"
o{z¦uzouzs"¦{uoq "tustxust\uzs"\tq"oqz\~mxu\¢"{r"bqzuoqÑ "nuqzzumx"uz"\tq"pu o u{z "
surrounding the current proliferation of biennials often leverage its presumed impor-
\mzoq"n¢"pq|uo\uzs"u\"msmuz \"\tq"nmows~{ zp"{r"\tq"uz\q~zm\u{zmx"uzp \~umx""q¡tunu\u{z "
mzp"\~mpq"rmu~ "{r"\tq"zuzq\qqz\t"oqz\ ~¢"4 qq8"r{~"q¡my|xq8"Om~{xuzq"M:"V{zq Ñ "q m¢"
uz"\tu "¦{x yq5:"_ ot"~qmpuzs "p~m "|m~mxxqx "nq\ qqz"\tq"z{zm~\u \uo"msqzpm " \~ o-
turally  indebted  to  recurring  large-scale  international  exhibitions  of  the  past  and 

present: the presumptive universality, ties to tourism, implications for urban devel-
{|yqz\8"{|qzuzs "r{~"r{~qusz;y x\uzm\u{zmx"om|u\mx"uz¦q \yqz\8"mzp"mynu\u{z "r{~"
mz"uy|~{¦qp"¦u unuxu\¢"uz"\tq"sx{nmx"m~qzm:"Uzpqqp8"\tq"qyq~sqzoq"{r"m"zq "nuqzzumx"u "
zq¦q~"r{~\ u\{ G"~m\tq~8"u\"u "mx m¢ "|m~\"{r"m"xm~sq~"mzp"{r\qz"¦q~¢"qxmn{~m\q"msqzpm:"
The
Biennial Reader

Biennials can and do serve as a vehicle for civic aspirations far beyond the art world, 
and with few exceptions they are founded on the basis of  ideological and economic 
o{z upq~m\u{z "~m\tq~"\tmz"m~\u \uo"{zq :"`tq"uz\~{p o\u{z"{r"m"zq "nuqzzumx"u "yqmz\"
to incite civic pride among the local population and provide it with a sense of belong-
uzs"\{"\tq"ox n"{r"ou¦uxu£qp"mzp"o x\ ~qp"o{yy zu\uq 8"{r" tuot" ot"¦qz\ ~q "m~q"\~m-
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it, symbolic capital.3"`tq"nuqzzumx"\t "r zo\u{z "m "m"sqzq~m\{~"{r" ¢yn{xuo"om|u\mx"
and can indirectly generate real capital via its ties, which are duly listed by Caroline 
M:"V{zq :"U" { xp"m~s q8"t{ q¦q~8"\tm\"z{zq"{r"\tq q"qxqyqz\ "u " |qouÙo"{~"q¡ox u¦q"
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found behind the establishment of a new museum, library, theater, opera house, or 
any other major cultural institution, for that matter. What distinguishes a contem-
porary art biennial from all these ventures is that it is an art exhibition as much as it 
u "m"o x\ ~mx"uz \u\ \u{z"{~"q¦qz\:"Mz"mzmx¢ u "r~{y"\tq"|q~ |qo\u¦q"{r"q¡tunu\u{z;o ~m9
torial history should thus be given an equal if not greater importance when consider-
uzs"\tq"~{xq"{r"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx"uz"~qxm\u{z"\{"\tq"{\tq~"nuqzzumx "o ~~qz\x¢"|~{xurq~-
m\uzs"m~{ zp"\tq" {~xp:"R ~\tq~y{~q8"u\" qqy "|qo xum~"\{"su¦q"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx" {xq"
credit for a type of exhibition whose emergence depends equally on the developments 
of the large-scale exhibition format throughout the twentieth century and, perhaps 
more importantly, on a unique set of circumstances that gave rise to its spread.

`tq"| ~|{ q"{r"\tu "q m¢8"\tq~qr{~q8"u "\{"m~s q"m"puÿq~qz\"sqzq u "{r"\tq"o{z\qy-

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~qxq¦mzoq"{r"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx"m "\tq"ymuz"|{uz\"{r"~qrq~qzoq"r{~"\tq"nuqzzumx "|~{-
xurq~m\uzs"m~{ zp"\tq" {~xp"\{pm¢:"U" uxx"p{" {"n¢"~q\~mouzs"ymv{~"q¦{x \u{z "{r"\tq"~q-
o ~~uzs"xm~sq9 omxq"uz\q~zm\u{zmx"q¡tunu\u{z"r{~ym\"r~{y"\tq"uzoq|\u{z"{r"\tq"bqzuoq"
Nuqzzumx"uz"=DEA"\{"\tq"nqsuzzuzs"{r"u\ " |~qmp"uz"\tq"yup9qust\uq " u\t"\tq"uzoq|\u{z"
{r"q¦qz\ "xuwq"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx:

 `tu "m yq 8"{r"o{ ~ q8"\tm\" q"omz"o{y|~qtqz u¦qx¢"pqÙzq"\tq"Îo{z\qy|{~m~¢"nuqz-

zumx:Ï"U\" { xp" qqy"\tm\8"su¦qz"\tq"y x\uxm¢q~qp8"o{y|xq¡"otm~mo\q~"{r"\tq"ymv{~u\¢"{r"
biennials of contemporary art and their number, diversity, and dynamic institutional 
structures, any subgrouping based on a single typology would be quite perilous. De-
spite this, however, by examining a wide cross-section of proliferating exhibitions and 
uz \u\ \u{zmx"r~myq {~w "mzp"m||x¢uzs"\tq"~ xq "{r"z{~ymx"pu \~un \u{z8"u\"u "|{ unxq"
 Venice or Havana: A Polemic on the Genesis of the Contemporary Biennial
Rafal Niemojewski

to delineate within a larger mass of biennials the prevalent curatorial and institutional 
y{pqx 8" tuot"U"pq uszm\q"m "\tq"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"nuqzzumx"mzp"\tq"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"nuqzzumx"
{~smzu£m\u{z:"`tu " qxqo\u{z"|~{oq "~q} u~q "x{{wuzs"m\"nuqzzumx " tuxq"\mwuzs"uz\{"mo-
count their overall complexity—from the ideological and political agendas behind their 
creation to their physical products, such as exhibitions, catalogues, or commissioned 
{~w :" U\" mx {" zqoq u\m\q " m" o{z upq~m\u{z" {r" \tqu~" o{z\~un \u{z " \{ m~p " ~qp~m uzs"
the map of the contemporary art world and rewriting contemporary art discourse, and 
towards the development of the new models of artistic, exhibitionary, and curatorial 
|~mo\uoq "\tm\"tm¦q"qyq~sqp"p ~uzs"\tq"|q~u{p"{r"\tqu~"|~{xurq~m\u{z:"`tq"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"
biennial can be distinguished by a strong will to negotiate its peripheral condition, to 
represent the ambitions of its host city, and to form infrastructures for contemporary 
m~\"mzp"\tq"| nxuo" |tq~q:"`tq" qxr9~qÚq¡u¦u\¢8"\uyq9"mzp" u\q9 |qouÙou\¢8"~tq\{~uomx"m~-
ym\ ~q" 4uzo~qm uzsx¢" uz\q~pu ou|xuzm~¢" pu o{ ~ q" \tm\" uzo{~|{~m\q " |{ \o{x{zumxu y"
mzp"z{z9cq \q~z"|{ u\u{z 58"mzp" ||{~\"u\"|~{¦upqp"\{"zq "r{~y "{r"pu o ~ u¦q"mzp"
socially conscious art and to the new type of curator are equally distinctive features.4

`tq" rmo\" u 8" \tq" z ynq~" {r" zq " xm~sq9 omxq" uz\q~zm\u{zmx" t{ " {r" o{z\qy|{~m~¢"
art introduced during the so-called period of proliferation of the biennial form has 
been open to debate, for the available literature provides no consensus with regard 
to the time frame of the phenomenon or the use and exact meaning of the impre-
ou q" \q~y" ÎnuqzzumxÏ" 4{~" u\ " U\mxumz" q} u¦mxqz\" biennale5:" Î`tq" \q~y" nuqzzumx" u " z{\"
|~{\qo\qp"n¢"o{|¢~ust\"mzp"o{z q} qz\x¢"u "{|qz"\{"mn q8Ï"m q~\qp"^qz "Nx{ow"uz"
><<<:A"U\"u "{r\qz" qp"\{" uszur¢"mz¢"numzz mx"m~\"q¡tunu\u{z"{~"m~\"|~{vqo\8"~qsm~pxq "
{r"u\ " omxq8"r{o 8"o{z\qz\8"{~"r~myq {~w8"~m\tq~"\tmz"v \"\tq"y{~q" |qouÙo"r{~ym\"
of  the  recurring  large-scale  international  survey  show  of  contemporary  art  with  a 
|m~\uo xm~" q\"{r"s{mx "mzp"otm~mo\q~u \uo " t{ q"|~{xurq~m\u{z"tm "\mwqz"|xmoq"uz"\tq"
context of a major reshaping of the contemporary art world’s topography over the 
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q¦mz\"xu\q~m\ ~q8"n \" u\t{ \"m~~u¦uzs"m\"m"|~qou q"pqÙzu\u{z"{r"u\:"Nx{ow8"r{~"q¡my|xq8"
describes  the  proliferating  format  as  “a  new  type  of  global  exhibition  established 
under  the   ge neric  term  biennial,  which  had  a  major  impact  upon  the  contempo-
~m~¢"m~\" oqzq8Ï" tuxq"[w u"Qz q£{~"~qrq~ "\{"u\"m "m"Îyqsm9q¡tunu\u{z8Ï"mzp"`uy"

S~uŠz"m "m"Îxm~sq9 omxq8"\~mz zm\u{zmx"q¡tunu\u{z:Ï"[\tq~ "o{z\uz q"\{" q"\tq"\q~y"
"nuqzzumx"sqzq~u"omxx¢8"pqÙzuzs"u\ "q¡mo\"yqmzuzs"\t~{ st"\tq"~mzsq"{r"m~s yqz\ "mzp"
 examples they put forward.6"Uz"\tu "q m¢8"U"tm¦q"r{o qp"{z"\tq" nvqo\"ym\otuzs"\tq"
y{~q" |qouÙo"r{~ym\"pq o~unqp"n¢"Nx{ow8"Qz q£{~8"mzp"S~uŠz"mzp"pq uszm\qp"u\"m "
The
Biennial Reader

the  contemporary biennial: the large-scale international survey show of contemporary 
art that  recurs at regular intervals but not necessarily biannually.C

`tq"y{pqx"{r"\tq"Ù~ \"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx"uz"=DEA" m " q\"{ \"n¢"m"xu \"{r"~qs xm\u{z "¦q~¢"

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zumx "y \"wqq|"\tu "uz"yuzp:8"U\"u "mx {"uy|{~\mz\"\{"z{\q"\tm\"r~{y"\tq"qm~x¢"pm¢ "mxx"
\tq"m~\ {~w "|~q qz\qp"m\"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx" q~q"{z" mxq8"mzp"m"|q~oqz\msq"xq¦uqp"
r~{y"\tqu~"| ~otm q"r{~yqp"m" uszuÙomz\"o{z\~un \u{z"\{"\tq"nuqzzumxÑ "n psq\" z\ux"
=EBD:"Zq¦q~\tqxq 8" q¦q~mx"rmo\ "m~q" {~\t"tustxust\uzs"\{"|~{¦upq"m"o{z\q¡\"r{~"\tq"
subsequent developments that would eventually lead to the emergence of the large-
omxq"uz\q~zm\u{zmx"q¡tunu\u{z"m " q"wz{ "u\"\{pm¢:"Ru~ \"mzp"r{~qy{ \" q~q"u\ " omxq"
mzp"uz\q~zm\u{zmx"|~{ÙxqF"\tq"=DEA"bqzuoq"q¡tunu\u{z"rqm\ ~qp"A=B" {~w 8"mzp"zqm~x¢"
\t~qq9Ùr\t "{r"\tq q" q~q"n¢"z{z9U\mxumz :"`tq"m~\ {~w " q~q"pu |xm¢qp"moo{~puzs"\{"
the artist’s country of origin and with a conspicuous attachment to the nineteenth-
oqz\ ~¢"z{\u{z"{r"zm\u{zmx" ot{{x "mzp" \¢xq :"`tu "m~~mzsqyqz\"xm\q~"pq¦qx{|qp"uz\{"
a system of national representation and, in terms of infrastructure, into national pa-
vilions constructed in the Giardini at the beginning of the twentieth century. While 
oxmuyuzs"\{"nq"Îuz\q~zm\u{zmx8Ï"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx" m 8"uz"mo\ mx"rmo\8"mz"q¡tunu\u{z"
zqm~x¢"q¡ox u¦qx¢"r{o qp"{z"Q ~{|qmz"m~\"mzp"\t " m "tm~px¢" tm\" q"yust\"o{z-
upq~"r xx¢"{~"|~{|q~x¢"uz\q~zm\u{zmx"\{pm¢:"U\" m zÑ\" z\ux"=EB@8"r{~"uz \mzoq8"\tm\"m"
z{z9Q ~{|qmz"m~\u \8"\tq"Myq~uomz"^{nq~\"^m otqznq~s8" {z"u\ "ymuz"|~u£q:

R~{y"\tq"\q¡\"| nxu tqp"uz"\tq"om\mx{s q"{r"\tq"Ù~ \"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx"{zq"ym¢"mx {"

learn that the exhibition’s aim was to show “the most noble activities of the  modern 
spirit” and to survey the “art of our time.”E"Uz"|~mo\uoq"\tu "¦mzs m~p"|{ u\u{z" m ""zq¦q~"
mo\ mxx¢"m yqp8"nqsuzzuzs" u\t"\tq" uszuÙomz\"mn qzoq"{r"mz¢"z{z9_mx{z"m~\" z\ux"
\tq" qm~x¢" \ qz\uq " mzp" o{z\uz uzs" u\t" m" ~q u \mzoq" \{ m~p" mn \~mo\" m~\" 4 u\t" \tq"
q¡oq|\u{z"{r"Rm ou \9{~uqz\qp"R \ ~u y5" z\ux"\tq"Ù~ \"|{ \ m~"qpu\u{z"uz"=E@D:"`tu "
pqxm¢" m "xm\q~"\~mz r{~yqp"uz\{"m"|m~\uo xm~"uz\q~q \"uz"m~\"tu \{~¢F"\tq"=E@D"qpu\u{z"

 rqm\ ~qp"mz"q¡tunu\u{z"{r"Uy|~q u{zu \"|muz\uzs 8"mzp"\tq"r{xx{ uzs"{zq8"Rm ¦u y8"

O nu y8"mzp"Yq\m|t¢ uomx"¥muz\uzs :"M\"\tq" myq"\uyq"¦u unxq""m\\qy|\ " q~q"ympq"
\{" ymwq" |" r{~" qm~xuq~" {yu u{z F" uz" =E@D" \tq" ymuz" |~u£q" qz\" \{" "Sq{~sq " N~m} q8"
mzp"uz" n q} qz\"qpu\u{z "u\" qz\"\{"Tqz~u"Ym\u q"4=EA<58"^m{ x"P r¢"4=EA>58"mzp"
Ym¡" Q~z \" mzp" Vqmz" M~|" 4=EA@5:" Mz{\tq~" ¢y|\{y" {r" \tq" z{\uoqmnx¢" o{z q~¦m\u¦q"
m\\u\ pq "{r"\tq"bqzuoq"NuqzzumxÑ " qxqo\u{z"o{yyu\\qq" m "\tq"mn qzoq"{r"mz¢"yqpum"
 Venice or Havana: A Polemic on the Genesis of the Contemporary Biennial
Rafal Niemojewski

{\tq~"\tmz"|muz\uzs"mzp" o x|\ ~q" z\ux"=ECB8" tqz"\tq"Ù~ \"|t{\{s~m|t" m "q¡tunu\qp:"

Uz"\tu "|q~u{p"\tq"m~\u \ 8" t{ q" {~w " q~q" qxqo\qp"r{~"pu |xm¢"n¢" \m\q"o{yyu\\qq 8"
q~q"{zx¢"m~~u¦uzs"{z" u\q"r{~"\tq"{|qzuzs"mzp"\tq~qr{~q"pupzÑ\"tm¦q"mz¢"uzÚ qzoq"{z"
how their pictures and sculptures were showcased, a fact which  gradually increased 
\tq"r~ \~m\u{z"{r" {yqF"mr\q~"\tq"=EA<"qpu\u{z8"r{~"q¡my|xq8"Su{~su{"pu"Otu~uo{" qp"
\tq"Nuqzzumx"r{~" t{ uzs"m"s~{ |"{r"tu "qm~x¢"Yq\m|t¢ uomx"¥muz\uzs "msmuz \"tu " u tq :

M\"\tq" myq"\uyq"\tm\"\tq"Ù~ \"qpu\u{z"{r"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx" m "|~q qz\qp"\{"\tq"

| nxuo8"uz"\tq"a:_:"\tq"¥u\\ n ~st"uzp \~umxu \"Mzp~q "Om~zqsuq"r{ zpqp"mz"m~\"uz-
\u\ \q" u\t"\tq"mynu\u{z"{r"o~qm\uzs"m"y q y"{r"y{pq~z"m~\:"`tq"q¡tunu\u{z" q~uq "
qz\u\xqp"\tq"Om~zqsuq"Uz\q~zm\u{zmx"\tm\" m "q \mnxu tqp"uz"\tq"r{xx{ uzs"¢qm~"mzp"
yqmz\"\{"~qo ~"mzz mxx¢8"muyqp"\{"m qynxq" {~w "r{~"\tm\"uz \u\ \qÑ "o{xxqo\u{z"m "
well as to educate audiences and attract the art world to the city.=< Compared to the 
bqzq\umz"q¡tunu\u{z8"\tq"Om~zqsuq"Uz\q~zm\u{zmx" qqy "\{"tm¦q"~q|~q qz\qp"m"y{pqx"
closer to today’s biennials from the start in terms of its peripheral location and its 
form  as  a  single  large-scale  international  exhibition  prepared  by  a  curator  after  a 
|q~u{p" {r" q¡\qz u¦q" \~m¦qx" mzp" \ pu{" ¦u u\ :" T{ q¦q~8" m " u\t" bqzuoqÑ " q¡tunu\u{z8"
~qxm\u¦qx¢"rq "m¦mz\9sm~pq" {~w "m||qm~qp"uz"u\ "qm~x¢"qpu\u{z 8"mzp"u\" m "z{\" z\ux"
Tqz~u"Ym\u qÑ " {~w" {z"Ù~ \"|~u£q"uz"=E>C"\tm\"y{pq~z"m~\Í\tm\"|q~u{pÑ "Îo{z-
\qy|{~m~¢Ï"m~\Í m "~qo{szu£qp:"_uyuxm~"m |u~m\u{z " q~q"q¦{wqp" tqz8"y{~q"\tmz"
tmxr"m"oqz\ ~¢"xm\q~8"m" qmx\t¢"uzp \~umxu \"{r"U\mxumz"pq oqz\8"R~mzou o{"Ym\m~m££{"
_{n~uzt{8"q \mnxu tqp"\tq"_•{"¥m x{"Nuqzzumx"uz"=EA=:"Nm qp"{z"\tq"{~usuzmx"bqzq\umz"
model of an exhibition comprised of national representations, the early editions of 
\tq"N~m£uxumz"nuqzzumx"|~q qz\qp"m"~qym~wmnx¢"xm~sq"mzp"|~{s~q u¦q" ~¦q¢"{r"o ~-
~qz\"m~\"ym~wqp"n¢"\tq"uy|{~\m\u{z"\{"N~m£ux"{r"ymz¢" {~w "{r"Q ~{|qmz"y{pq~zu y"
4\tq"~q\~{ |qo\u¦q" t{ "{r"¥uom {"uz"=EA?"ym¢" q~¦q"m "mz"q¡my|xq5:

Uz"ymz¢"~q |qo\ 8"\tq q"qm~x¢"nuqzzumx "omz"nq" qqz"m "\tq"pu~qo\"pq oqzpmz\ "{r"\tq"

zuzq\qqz\t9oqz\ ~¢" mx{z8" z{ " uz \u\ \u{zmxu£qp" u\t" u\ " { z" ¦qz q" 4\tq" ¥mxm££{"
pqxxÑM~\q"uz"bqzuoq8"\tq"Om~zqsuq"Uz \u\ \q"uz"¥u\\ n ~st8"\tq"o{y|xq¡"{r"|m¦uxu{z "mzp"
q¡tunu\u{z"tmxx "pq uszqp"n¢"[ om~"Zuqyq¢q~"r{~"\tq" qo{zp"qpu\u{z"{r"\tq"_•{"¥m x{"
Nuqzzumx58"q¡|mzpqp"ymz¢"\uyq "{¦q~"uz" u£q8"mzp" |pm\qp" u\t"m"zq " |u~u\"{r"uz\q~zm-

tionalism, yet still strongly attached to the conservative taste of the  bourgeois public. 
Uz"=EAA8"t{ q¦q~8"\tq"Ù~ \"P{o yqz\m"uz\~{p oqp"m"puÿq~qz\"y{pqx"{r"m" uzsxq8"xm~sq9
scale,  perennial  international  exhibition.11" `tu " uzu\umxx¢" qzo{y|m qp" m" n~{mpq~"
spectrum of the Kunst des XX. Jahrhunderts"4M~\"{r"\tq"` qz\uq\t"Oqz\ ~¢58"n \"mr\q~"
The
Biennial Reader

its second edition Documenta evolved toward a survey of current art production. By 
=EC>8" u\t"\tq"Ùr\t"qpu\u{z8"pu~qo\{~"Tm~mxp"_£qqymzz"m |u~qp"\{"\ ~z"P{o yqz\mÑ "
initial idea of representing itself as a Museum der 100 Tage"4Y q y"{r"=<<"Pm¢ 5"uz\{"
{zq"t zp~qp"pm¢ "{r"q¦qz\ :"PqÙzqp"m "Îm"|~{oq "{r"y \ mxx¢"uz\q~~qxm\qp"q¦qz\ Ï"
rather than “a static collection of objects,” and as “a concentrated version of life in the 
form of an exhibition,” it expanded the traditional limits of an art exhibition and be-
came a lively forum for discussions, performances, experiments, and social action.=> 
V{ q|t"Nq ¢ Ñ "[þoq"r{~"Pu~qo\"Pqy{o~mo¢"mzp"Tmz "TmmowqÑ " {ou{x{suomx" ~¦q¢"{r"
¦u u\{~ " q~q"|q~tm| "\tq"y{ \"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"uz"rqqx:"`tu "q¡|mzpqp"pu o ~ u¦q"r{~-
mat is echoed in the innumerable instances of discussions and “live” art projects that 
moo{y|mz¢"ymz¢"uz\q~zm\u{zmx"xm~sq9 omxq"q¡tunu\u{z "\{pm¢:"`tq" t{ " m "mx {8"uz"mxx"
~q |qo\ 8"m"~qÚqo\u{z"{r"~qoqz\"m~\u \uo"q¡|x{~m\u{z8" tuot" m "ym~wqp"n¢"\tq"|~q qzoq"
{r"O{zoq|\ mx"M~\"4Tmz "Tmmowq8"Xm ~qzoq"cquzq~58"N{p¢"M~\"4buqzzq q"Mo\u{zu \ 58"
¥q~r{~ymzoq"M~\"4bu\{"Moo{zou8"Suxnq~\"2"Sq{~sq8"Nqz"bm \uq~58"T¢|q~9^qmxu y8"mzp"
~qoqz\"q¡|q~uyqz\ "uz" ~nmz"pq¦qx{|yqz\"4M~otus~my8"¥q\q~"O{{w8"e{zm"R~uqpymz5:

Uz"\tq"yqmz\uyq8"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx"q¡|q~uqzoqp" {yq"uy|{~\mz\"pq¦qx{|yqz\ "uz-

formed by the changes in its status, which had been thoroughly revised after the thirty-
Ùr\t"qpu\u{z" m " \~ ow"n¢"\tq"|~{\q \ "{r"=EBD:"`tu "uzox pqp"n~uzsuzs"mz"qzp"\{"\tq"
mxq"{r"m~\ {~w "mzp"uz\~{p ouzs"m"zq "r{o "{z"\tq"q¡tunu\u{z"mzp""uz¦{x¦qyqz\"{r"
the artists.13"Uz"=EC<" {yq"{r"\tq"zm\u{zmx"|~q qz\m\u{z " q~q"o{zoqu¦qp"r{~"\tq"Ù~ \"
\uyq"\t~{ st"\tq"ox{ q"o{xxmn{~m\u{z"{r"o{yyu u{zq~ "mzp" qxqo\qp"m~\u \ :"`tq"a:_:"
¥m¦uxu{z"pu |xm¢qp"m" ~¦q¢"{r"Myq~uomz"|~uz\ymwuzs"\tm\"uzox pqp"mz"{z9 u\q"" {~wuzs"
|moq"r{~"\tq"m~\u \ "m~~mzsqp"n¢"\tq"o{yyu u{zq~8"Tqz~¢"T{|wuz :"M "m"~q x\8"\tq"
Myq~uomz"q¡tunu\u{z"rqm\ ~qp" q¦q~mx"m~\ {~w "ympq"uz" u\ 8"uzox puzs"Qp"^ otmÑ "
Chocolate Room,"mz"uz \mxxm\u{z"o{z u \uzs"{r"?B<" tqq\ "{r"|m|q~" uxw9 o~qqzqp" u\t"
ot{o{xm\q"\tm\"qz\u~qx¢"o{¦q~qp"\tq"uz\q~u{~" mxx "{r"{zq"{r"\tq"~{{y :"Uz"\tq"Sq~ymz"
¥m¦uxu{z"4\tqz"cq \"Sq~ymz58"Puq\q~"T{zu t8"\tq"pu~qo\{~"{r"\tq"Zq "Zm\u{zmx"Smx-
xq~¢"uz"Nq~xuz8"\{sq\tq~" u\t"m~\u \ "Tquz£"Ymow"mzp"S z\q~"aqowq~"4fq~{"S~{ |58"Wm~x"
Sq{~s"¥rmtxq~8"mzp"Wm |m~9`t{ym "Xqzw"4[|"M~\5"q \mnxu tqp"\tq"|~qoqpqz\"{r"m~\u \u-

 cally intervening in the pavilion’s architecture by rearranging the appearance of the 
building on the inside as well as on the outside.14"` {"¢qm~ "xm\q~"\tq" myq"Sq~ymz"
o{yyu u{zq~" qz\~ \qp" \tq" o{zÙs ~m\u{z" {r" mz" qz\u~q" |m¦uxu{z" \{" m" uzsxq" "m~\u \8"
Gerhard Richter, thereby setting the precedent for today’s prevailing model of a pavil-
u{z"|~q qz\uzs"m"zq x¢"o{yyu u{zqp" {~w"4{~"qz qynxq"{r" {~w 5"n¢"m" uzsxq"m~\u \"
or group.=A"`tq q"zq "y{pqx "{r"pu |xm¢"tqx|qp"n~uzs"mn{ \"mz"uy|{~\mz\" |pm\uzs"{r"
 Venice or Havana: A Polemic on the Genesis of the Contemporary Biennial
Rafal Niemojewski

\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx:"`tq¢"{|qzqp"p{{~ "\{"o ~m\{~umx"mzp"m~\u \uo"|~{vqo\ "\tm\" q~q"

uzo~qm uzsx¢"uz" ¢zo" u\t"\tq"xm\q \"pq¦qx{|yqz\ "uz"|~mo\uoq"m\"\tm\"\uyq:"T{ q¦q~8"
\tq¢"pup"z{\" {x¦q"\tq"|q~ u \qz\"|~{nxqy "\tm\"|~q¦qz\qp"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx "{r"\tq"
seventies from contending with the concurrent editions of Documenta, namely, the 
xmow"{r"m" \~{zs8" uzsxq"o ~m\{~umx"pu~qo\u{z"\tm\"o{ xp"nq"|xm¢qp"{ \"{z"m"xm~sq" omxq"
independently from the nation-based system of funding and its political implications, 
mzp"\tq"xmow"{r"m" ¢ \qym\uo"uzox u{z"{r"qyq~suzs"m~\u \ "mzp"|~mo\uoq 8"uz \qmp"{r"v \"
\tq"mx~qmp¢" qxx"q \mnxu tqp:"`tq"m¦mz\9sm~pq"|~{vqo\ "m\"\tq"Myq~uomz"mzp"Sq~ymz"
|m¦uxu{z "mx {"~q¦qmxqp"\tq"uzo~qm uzs"uzq} mxu\¢"nq\ qqz"puÿq~qz\"zm\u{zmx"~q|~q qz-
tations, some of which were slowly adopting more experimental methodologies while 
{\tq~ "o{z\uz qp"\{"qzp{~ q"\tq"y{~q"\~mpu\u{zmx"y q y9xuwq"pu |xm¢ "{r"y{pq~z"m~\:

Uz"=ED<8"Tm~mxp"_£qqymzz"mzp"Motuxxq"N{zu\{"[xu¦m"{¦q~tm xqp"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx"
in a radical fashion by introducing Aperto, a new section created as a response to the 
rigidity of the Biennial’s structure and to the conservatism of the majority of selec-
tors. Opening its doors to young, emerging artists without any restrictions  regarding 
zm\u{zmxu\¢8" u\" o{z \u\ \qp" |q~tm| " \tq" uzsxq" y{ \" uy|{~\mz\" tur\" \{" tm¦q" \mwqz"
|xmoq"uz"\tq"tu \{~¢"{r"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx" uzoq"u\ "uzoq|\u{z"uz"=DEA:"Aperto inau-
gurated changes on a structural and aesthetic level that have subsequently enabled 
uzpq|qzpqz\x¢"o ~m\qp"mzp"Ùzmzoqp"q¡tunu\u{z "\{"\mwq"|xmoq"uz"\tq"M~ qzmxq"p ~uzs"
each edition of the Biennial.16

`tq"r{ ~"ymuz"nuqzzumx "{r"\tq"|~qsx{nmxu£qp"\ qz\uq\t"oqz\ ~¢Í\t{ q"{r"bqzuoq"mzp"

_•{" ¥m x{8" \tq" Om~zqsuq" Uz\q~zm\u{zmx8" mzp" P{o yqz\mÍ t{ xp" \t " nq" "~qsm~pqp"
m "\tq"y{ \"uy|{~\mz\"q¦{x \u{z "{r"\tq"bqzq\umz"y{pqx:"T{ q¦q~8"z{zq"|~{¦upq"m"
true blueprint for the contemporary biennial as experienced since the mid-eighties, 
tuot"u "\{" m¢8" uzoq"\tq"|q~u{p"{r"\tq"r{~ym\Ñ "|~{xurq~m\u{z:"`tq"o~ oumx"q¦qz\"r{~"
\tq"tu \{~¢"{r"\tq"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"nuqzzumx"m~s mnx¢"omyq"{zx¢"uz"=ED@8" tqz"\tq"Ù~ \"
~qo ~~uzs"xm~sq9 omxq"q¡tunu\u{z" m "q \mnxu tqp"uz"\tq"`tu~p"c{~xp8"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nu-
ennial. La Bienal de La Habana" m "s~{ zpn~qmwuzs"uz"ymz¢" m¢ :"R{~"\tq"Ù~ \"\uyq"
\tq" r{o " m " oxqm~x¢" {z" m~\" o{yuzs" r~{y" \tq" Om~unnqmz8" Xm\uz" Myq~uom8" M um8" \tq"
Yuppxq"Qm \8"mzp"Mr~uomÍ\tm\"u 8"r~{y"{ \ upq"\tq"\~mpu\u{zmx"oqz\q~ "{r"\tq"o{z\qy-

|{~m~¢"m~\" {~xp:"`tu " z|~qoqpqz\qp" \~m\qs¢"{r"|~{y{\uzs"|q~u|tq~mx"m~\" oqzq "m "
|m~\"{r"\tq"sx{nmx"ou~o u\Íxm\q~"\{"nqo{yq"{zq"{r"\tq"|~uzou|mx"~mu {z "pÑ \~q"{r"\tq"
o{z\qy|{~m~¢"nuqzzumxÍ m "|xmuzx¢" \m\qp"uz"\tq"Tm¦mzm"NuqzzumxÑ "Î^qs xm\u{z"r{~"
¥m~\uou|m\u{z8Ï"m"\~uxuzs mx"n~{ot ~q"| nxu tqp"mzp"pu \~un \qp"p ~uzs"u\ "Ù~ \"qpu\u{zF
The
Biennial Reader

The Wifredo Lam Center convenes the 1st Havana Biennial in order to pro-
mote the development of plastic arts in Latin America and the Caribbean in the 
belief they must be recognized as a part of universal culture. In Latin America 
and the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, many artists involved in the quest for a 
genuine and contemporary form of expression do not have access to the contact 
and confrontation necessary to achieve international recognition of their tal-
ents. Thus, one of the main objectives of the biennial is to promote the work of 
participating artists on the international scene.

Uz" o{z q} qzoq8" \tq" |m~\uou|m\uzs" m~\u \ " q~q" ~q} u~qp" \{" nq" ou\u£qz " {r" m" Xm\uz"
Myq~uomz"{~"Om~unnqmz"o{ z\~¢8"{~"m\"xqm \"tm¦q"xu¦qp"uz"{zq"{r"\tq q"\ {"~qsu{z "r{~"
m"yuzuy y"{r"Ù¦q"¢qm~ :"`tq" qo{zp"qpu\u{z" m "mppu\u{zmxx¢"{|qzqp"\{"m~\u \ "r~{y"
M um8"mzp"\tq"\tu~p8"\{"m~\u \ "r~{y"Mr~uom:"`tq q"~q \~uo\u{z " q~q"~qxm¡qp"m"xu\\xq"uz"
\tq"Ùr\t"qpu\u{z8" tuot"rqm\ ~qp"pum |{~uo"m~\u \ "{r"Om~unnqmz"pq oqz\8" ot"m "\tq"
N~u\u t"m~\u \"Wqu\t"¥u|q~:

azxuwq"uz"bqzuoq"{~"_•{"¥m x{8"\tq" {~w "uz"\tq"ymuz"q¡tunu\u{z"{r"\tq"Ù~ \"qpu\u{z"

{r"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx8" tuot" m "x{om\qp"uz"\tq"¥mnqxx{z"pq"O nm8" q~q"pu |xm¢qp"
moo{~puzs"\{"r{~ymx"o~u\q~um"~m\tq~"\tmz"zm\u{zmx"{~usuz:"`tq"Nuqzzumx" \qyyqp"r~{y"
\tq" m y|\u{z" \tm\" Xm\uz" Myq~uomz" m~\u \ " q~q" m" tq\q~{sqzq{ " s~{ |" {r" uzpu-
¦up mx " ~m\tq~" \tmz" yq~q" ~q|~q qz\m\u¦q " {r" |m~\uo xm~" o{ z\~uq " {~" o x\ ~q :" `tu "
perspective was also conspicuous in the layout of the catalogue, which arranged the 
m~\u \ "mx|tmnq\uomxx¢"~m\tq~"\tmz"n¢"zm\u{zmxu\¢:"`tq"q¡tunu\u{z"m\"\tq"¥mnqxx{z" m "
mx {"~qym~wmnxq"r{~"u\ " zu} q"ymzzq~"{r"pu |xm¢:"[¦q~"A8<<<" } m~q"yq\q~ "{r"{|qz9
mu~" |moq"o{¦q~qp"n¢"m"o{zo~q\q"~{{r" m " qp"\{"o~qm\q"m"\qy|{~m~¢"y x\uxq¦qx"ym£q"
u\t" {{pqz"n~upsq "o{zzqo\uzs"\tq"¦m~u{ "q¡tunu\u{z" |moq :"Mxx" {~w " q~q" zu-
r{~yx¢"r~myqp" u\t"~m 8" zÙzu tqp" {{pqz" \~u| 8"~qsm~pxq "{r"\tqu~"r{~ym\:"Yqmz-
tuxq8"uz"\tq" qo{zp"ymuz"¦qz q8"\tq"Y q y"{r"Ruzq"M~\ 8"m"y{~q"\~mpu\u{zmxx¢"t zs"
exhibition was divided into sections according to technique, and then each of these 
qo\u{z " m " n{~smzu£qp"moo{~puzs"\{"o{ z\~¢:"`tq" qxqo\u{z"{r" {~w "rqm\ ~qp"uz"

 \tq"Ù~ \"qpu\u{z"ym¢" qqy"m"xu\\xq"o{z q~¦m\u¦q"r~{y"\{pm¢Ñ "|q~ |qo\u¦q8"r{~"\tq"{Š-

oumx"Î^qs xm\u{z"r{~"¥m~\uou|m\u{zÏ"{zx¢"mxx{ qp"\ {9puyqz u{zmx" {~w Í|muz\uzs8"
p~m uzs 8"|t{\{s~m|t¢8"mzp"|~uz\ :"U\"u 8"t{ q¦q~8"uy|{~\mz\"\{"z{\q"\tm\"r~{y"m"x{omx"
perspective there was nothing particularly reactionary about this focus: due to the 
p \¢9r~qq"zm\ ~q"{r"ymuxqp"|~uz\qp"ym\\q~"m " qxx"m "\tq"mÿ{~pmnuxu\¢"{r"u\ "|~{p o-
\u{z"mzp" tu||uzs8"|~uz\qp" {~w "tm¦q"mx m¢ "nqqz"m"rm¦{~u\q"u\qy"uz"Xm\uz"Myq~u-
 Venice or Havana: A Polemic on the Genesis of the Contemporary Biennial
Rafal Niemojewski

can contemporary art exhibitions and were preponderant in several other smaller, 
t{~\9xu¦qp"nuqzzumx "|~qoqpuzs"Tm¦mzmÑ 8" ot"m "\tq"nuqzzumx "uz"Yqpqxx¿z"mzp"Omxu"
4n{\t"uz"O{x{ynum58" u\t"\tq"xm\\q~"nquzs"qz\u~qx¢"pq¦{\qp"\{"\tq"s~m|tuo"m~\ :

cu\t"m"\{\mx"{r">8><<" {~w "n¢"D?A"m~\u \ 8"\tq"Ù~ \"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx"qzpqp" |""|~q qz\uzs"

{zq"{r"\tq"y{ \"uy|{~\mz\"{¦q~¦uq "{r"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"Xm\uz"Myq~uomz"m~\"uz""tu \{~¢:=C 
Nqsuzzuzs" u\t"\tq" qo{zp"qpu\u{z8"\tq"nuqzzumx"r{o qp"|~qp{yuzmz\x¢"{z" {~w "n¢"
emerging artists by introducing a new paragraph into the regulations that allowed 
{zx¢" {~w "o~qm\qp"p ~uzs"\tq"Ù¦q"¢qm~ "|~qoqpuzs"\tq"q¡tunu\u{z"\{"nq"pu |xm¢qp:"
`tu " z|~qoqpqz\qp"mzz{\m\u{z"u "y{ \"xuwqx¢"\tq"qm~xuq \"r{~y xm\u{z"{r"\tq"\mou\"
~ xq"{r"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"nuqzzumx "\{"|~u¦uxqsq"zq " {~w8"\tm\"u 8"\tqu~"r zo\u{z"m "" ~¦q¢ "
of the latest tendencies in art.18"`tq" qo{zp"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx" m "mx {"\tq"Ù~ \"\~ x¢"
sx{nmx" q¡tunu\u{z8" sm\tq~uzs" BE<" m~\u \ " r~{y" AC" o{ z\~uq " mzp" |u{zqq~uzs" \tq" q¡-
\~m{~puzm~¢"uz\q~zm\u{zmxu£m\u{z"{r"m~\"\tm\" q" u\zq "\{pm¢:"R~{y"qm~x¢"{z8"u\" m "
mx {"\tq"|~u{~u\¢"{r"\tq"{~smzu£q~ "\{"uz¦u\q"m~\u \ "\{"Tm¦mzm"\{"uz \mxx"\tqu~" {~w :"Uz"
\tq"Ùr\t"qpu\u{z8"=<@"{r"\tq"=C="|m~\uou|mz\ " q~q"uz¦{x¦qp"p ~uzs"\tq""uz \mxxm\u{z:=E"`{-
pm¢8"ymz¢"|m~\uou|mz\ "~qomxx"\tq"qm~x¢"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx "m "m" zu} q"|xmoq"r{~""pumx{s q"
among artists grappling with the restrictive costs of artistic production.><"Uz"tm¦uzs"
mz"uy|{~\mz\"z ynq~"{r"m~\u \ "{z" u\q"mzp"m"rm¦{~mnxq"|{xu\uomx"oxuym\q8"\tq""{~smzu£q~ "
saw the event as a space for creative encounters between artists, theoreticians, cul-
\ ~mx" {~wq~ 8"mzp"\tq"x{omx"|{| xm\u{z:>="`tq"nuqzzumx"qzsmsqp"\tq"qz\u~q"ou\¢"m "\tq"q¡-
tunu\u{z"¦qz q " q~q" |~qmp"mo~{ "puÿq~qz\"zqustn{~t{{p G"r{~" {yq"{r"\tq"qm~x¢"qpu-
tions over thirty venues were used, including artists’ studios and private apartments.

`tq"Tm¦mzm"NuqzzumxÑ "uzz{¦m\u¦q"zm\ ~q" m "mx {"ymzurq \"uz" q¦q~mx"{\tq~"m |qo\ :"

_uzoq"u\ "uzoq|\u{z"uz"=ED@8"u\"tm "q¡|mzpqp"\tq"\~mpu\u{zmx"y{pqx"{r"{zq"oqz\~mx"q¡-
hibition  into  an  assortment  of  shows,  panel  discussions,  lectures,  performances, 
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mzp"pup"z{\"o{zoq~z"m" qxr9~qÚq¡u¦q"qz} u~¢"uz\{"\tq"q¡tunu\u{z"mzp"\tq"uz \u\ \u{zÑ "
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q \""Tm¦mzm"q¡tunu\u{z "mzp"\tqu~"|m~mxxqx"q¦qz\ "\tm\" q"m~q" \~ ow"n¢"\tq"o{z\qy-

poraneity of these topics, for they continue to play a central role in the discourse 
{r"\{pm¢Ñ "nuqzzumx :"`tq"Ù~ \"nuqzzumx"4=ED@5"r{o qp"{z"Om~unnqmz"o x\ ~q 8" tuxq"
\tq"zq¡\"qpu\u{z"4=EDB5" m "moo{y|mzuqp"n¢"m"o{zrq~qzoq"qz\u\xqp"Î`~mpu\u{z"mzp"
O{z\qy|{~mzqu\¢"uz"\tq"M~\ "{r"\tq"`tu~p"c{~xp:Ï"`tq q"} q \u{z " q~q"qxmn{~m\qp"
The
Biennial Reader

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\u{z"{r"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx"ym~wqp"mz"uy|{~\mz\"\ ~z"uz"pu o u{z " ~~{ zpuzs"
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zumx "m~\uo xm\qp"\tqu~"~tq\{~uo:"Uz"rmo\8"\tu "qpu\u{z" m "\tq"Ù~ \"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"nu-
qzzumx" \{" pqmx" q¡|xuou\x¢" u\t" |{ \o{x{zumxu y" nqr{~q" \tq" ~qmpuzs " {r" sx{nmxu£m\u{z"
through the lens of postcolonial critique began to be systematically appropriated by 
\tq"pu o{ ~ q "mzp"r~myq {~w "{r"|~qq¡u \uzs"mzp"zq x¢"q \mnxu tqp"nuqzzumx"q¡tu-
nu\u{z :"`tq"zq "¦m~umz\"{r"\tq"Tm¦mzm"NuqzzumxÑ "~tq\{~uo"~qxuqp"\{"m"xq q~"q¡\qz\"
{z"\tq"Î`t~qq"c{~xp Ï"y{pqx"mzp"uz \qmp" tur\qp"\{ m~p "} q \u{z "{r"\tq"sx{nmx"
¦q~ " \tq" x{omx" mzp" \tq" oqz\q~;o{~qÌ|q~u|tq~¢" pumxqo\uo:" Uz" |m~mxxqx8" \tq" Nuqzzumx"
featured from the beginning exhibitions designed to address a range of current is-
q 8" ot"m "z{ympu y8"pu |xmoqyqz\"mzp"ym~suzmxu£m\u{z8"o x\ ~mx"t¢n~upu£m\u{z "
and dia sporic identities, ecology, and the periphery of postmodernity—all of which 
z{ "nqx{zs"\{"\tq"¦{omn xm~¢"{r"\tq"o ~~qz\"sqzq~m\u{z"{r"nuqzzumx :"`tq"{~smzu£q~ "
|~u¦uxqsqp" {~w "q¡|~q uzs"q\tzuo8"~qxusu{ 8"mzp"o x\ ~mx"|m~\uo xm~u y 8"\tq~qn¢"
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municate a  universal message imposed by a single curatorial gesture.

Bringing together a selection of local and international artists, curators, critics, his-
torians, and philosophers as well as social activists, theoreticians, and practitioners 
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of heterogeneous discursive sphere capable of addressing current art practice while 
simultaneously  exploring  some  of  the  most  complex  predicaments  of  our  time.>> 
_ ot"sqzq~m\qp"~tq\{~uomx"m~ym\ ~q" m "\tq~qr{~q"y ot"n~{mpq~"\tmz"\tq"m~\"tu \{~-
ical discourse accompanying the majority of museum shows at the time, which made 
it capable of expanding the locus of the disciplinary models that had constituted and 
pqÙzqp"m~\u \uo"wz{ xqpsq"|~{p o\u{z" |" z\ux"\tq"qust\uq :>?

cu\t" \tq" |~{xurq~m\u{z" {r" ¦m~um\u{z " {r" \tq" zq " y{pqx" q \mnxu tqp" n¢" \tq" Tm¦mzm"

 Nuqzzumx" 4mz" uz\q~zm\u{zmx8" xm~sq9 omxq8" \tqyq9p~u¦qz" ~¦q¢" {r" ~qoqz\" m~\" u\t" mz"
extensive program of parallel events and discursive platforms that increasingly in-
o{~|{~m\qp" z{zm~\u \uo" pu ou|xuzq 58" tuot" m " ur\x¢" m||xuqp" uz" |xmoq " \tm\" tm¦q"
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o |q~m\qp" n¢" qo{zp9\uq~" ou\uq " uz" Q ~{|q" 4q:s:8" X¢{z8" `u~mzm8" _q¦uxxq5" mzp" \tq" Rm~"
Qm \"4q:s:8"S mzsv 8"R w {wm58"\tq"O nmz"nuqzzumx"u\ qxr"nqsmz"\{"x{ q"u\ " uzs xm~u\¢"
 Venice or Havana: A Polemic on the Genesis of the Contemporary Biennial
Rafal Niemojewski

m~{ zp"\tq"\uyq"{r"u\ " u¡\t"qpu\u{z"uz"=EEC:"M\"\tm\"|{uz\8"Ù~ \"~qs~q\ " q~q"q¡|~q qp"

mn{ \"\tq" {r\qzuzs"{r"\tq"Tm¦mzm"NuqzzumxÑ "~mpuomx"~tq\{~uo8"r{~"u\"tmp"nqs z"\{"qz-
smsq" u\t"\tq"|{xu\uo "{r"\tq"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"m~\" {~xp:"M "o~u\uo"^motqx"cqu "{n q~¦qp"
uz"=EEC8"\tq"{~smzu£q~ "{r"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx"tmp"Î|~{¦qp"\tm\"m"o{z¦uzouzs"sx{nmx"
|{ u\u{z"omz"nq"pq¦qx{|qp"r~{y"{ \ upq"\tq" mx"ou~oxq "{r"|{ q~G"\tqu~"\m w"z{ 8"
one fears, is to defend their achievement from its own success well enough to pre-
serve its voice and distinctness—a problem of middle age.”>@"T{ q¦q~8"\tq"Tm¦mzm"
Biennial remains the symbolic model for the majority of biennials created in the past 
\ qz\¢9Ù¦q"¢qm~ :"¥m~mp{¡uomxx¢8"u\"u "\tmzw "\{"\tq"qo{z{yuo"u {xm\u{z"{r"O nm"\tm\"
Tm¦mzmÑ "nuqzzumx" \uxx"~q|~q qz\ "m"|q~u|tq~mx"o{z\q¡\"uz"u\ "| ~q \"r{~y"\{pm¢:

`tq"m~s yqz\ "xu \qp"mn{¦q" ssq \"\tm\"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx"4m "q¦upqzoqp"n¢"u\ "

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~m~¢"nuqzzumx"uz"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx"omz"nq" yym~u£qp"mzp"s~{ |qp"uz\{"\tq"\t~qq"
main areas of inquiry: its relevance from the perspective of exhibition and curatorial 
history, the conjuncture of historical circumstances in which it came into being, and 
u\ "pu \uzo\x¢"puÿq~qz\"~qmpuzs"{r"y{pq~zu\¢:

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oqz\ ~¢8"Tm¦mzmÑ "nuqzzumx" m "\tq"Ù~ \"\{"r{o " \~uo\x¢"{z"~qoqz\" {~w"mzp"|~u{~u-
\u£q"m~\"|~{p o\u{z"r~{y"{ \ upq"\tq"cq \q~z"o{~q:>A"M~\ {~w "rqm\ ~qp"uz"\tq"Tm¦mzm"
Biennial were displayed according to formal criteria in a centrally curated exhibition 
~m\tq~"\tmz"uz"m" q~uq "{r"pu |xm¢ "{r" {~w "m~~mzsqp"moo{~puzs"\{"\tq"o{ z\~¢"{r"\tqu~"
{~usuz8"m " m "\tq"om qÍmzp"\{" {yq"q¡\qz\" \uxx"u Íuz"bqzuoq:>B Beginning with its 
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mz"qz\u~q"o{z \qxxm\u{z"{r"q¦qz\ "4ymuz"q¡tunu\u{z 8"m {~\qp"s~{ |"mzp" {x{" t{ 8"
o{zrq~qzoq 8"\mxw 8"xqo\ ~q 8" {~w t{| 8"| nxuom\u{z 8"Ùxy"|~{s~my 8"q\o:5"~q¦{x¦uzs"
m~{ zp"m" |qouÙo"\tqym\uo8"m~\u \uo8"mzp"o x\ ~mx"r{o 8" tuot"\t "|~{¦upqp"u\" u\t"m"
strong rhetorical armature and unprecedented discursive capacities.>C

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r{~yqp"xq "n¢"\tqu~"m~\u \uo"|~{Ùxq "mzp"ot{uoq "\tmz"n¢"\tq"tu \{~uomx"ou~o y \mzoq "
uz" tuot"\tq¢"omyq"\{"nquzs:"`tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx" m "r{ zpqp"m "m"oqxqn~m\u{z"{r"\tq"
zuzq\qqz\t9oqz\ ~¢"upqm"{r"\tq"zm\u{z9 \m\q8" tuxq"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx8"uz"o{z\~m \8"
The
Biennial Reader

emerged with the advent of major historical transformations concurrent with the 
z|~qoqpqz\qp"mooqxq~m\u{z"{r"\tq"|~{oq q "{r"sx{nmxu£m\u{z8"mzp"\t "~qÚqo\qp"\tq"
zq "\~mz zm\u{zmx8"y x\uo x\ ~mx8"mzp"pum |{~uo"upqz\u\uq :"`{"usz{~q"\tq q"pqmxuzs "
mzp"r{o "{zx¢"{z"\tq"qxqyqz\ "{r"\tq"qm~x¢"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx"\tm\"mx~qmp¢"o{z\muzqp"
within them a grain of the ensuing phenomenon of biennial proliferation in order 
\{"o{z\~u¦q"m"zqm\"\qxq{x{s¢" { xp"nq"m"yu \mwq:>D"Uz \qmp8"{zq"yust\"mx {"m~\uo xm\q"
the conditions of possibility for the appearance of what seems self-evident, condi-
tions that are contingent in that they are products of historically unrepeatable cir-
o y \mzoq "¢q\"m~q"mx {"o{zvqo\ ~mxx¢"pq\q~yuzqp:"`tq"mooqxq~m\u{z"{r"|~{oq q "{r"
sx{nmxu£m\u{z"mzp"\tq"|m msq"r~{y"m"|{xm~u£qp"|{xu\uomx" u\ m\u{z"uz"\tq" {~xp"4p ~-
uzs"\tq"O{xp"cm~5"\{"\tq"rm~"y{~q"o{y|xq¡"m~~mzsqyqz\"\tm\"Mz\{zu{"Zqs~u"mzp"Yu-
otmqx"Tm~p\"pq o~unq"m "\tq"ÎQy|u~qÏ"|~{¦upqp"\tq"o{zpu\u{z "{r"|{ unuxu\¢"r{~"\tq"
|~{xurq~m\u{z"{r"\{pm¢Ñ "o{z\qy|{~m~¢"nuqzzumx :"`tq q"tu \{~uomx"ou~o y \mzoq "m~q8"
in this context, far more decisive than the sway of the predecessors.>E"`tq~qr{~q8"\tq"
uy|{~\mzoq"\tm\"U"my"m uszuzs"\{"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx"xuq "uz"\tq"rmo\"\tm\"u\"om|\ ~qp"
mzp"ym~wqp"\tq"|q~u{p"{r"\tq"ymv{~"\~mz u\u{z "uz"\tq"4m~\5" {~xp"\tm\"pq\q~yuzqp"
the course of the proliferation.?<

`tq"Ù~ \"qpu\u{z"{r"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx"uz"=ED@"\t "ym~wqp"m"\ ~z"uz"nuqzzumx""tu \{~¢F"

the birth of a new breed of contemporary biennials born of a global context and the 
start of their proliferation. While many of the new biennials may, in some respects, be 
~qmp"m "o{z\uz mx"q¡|~q u{z "{r"y{pq~zu\¢"4z{\mnx¢"\t~{ st"\tqu~"m {oum\u{z" u\t"
\tq"moo y xm\u{z"{r" ¢yn{xuo"om|u\mx58"u\" m "\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx"\tm\"q \mnxu tqp"
the contemporary biennial as a platform for the critique of this same modernity. By 
r{o uzs"{z"o~qm\uzs"t{~u£{z\mx"o{zzqo\u{z "4_{ \tÌ_{ \t5"\tm\"|~{¦upq""mx\q~zm\u¦q "
\{"\tq"m~\"~{ \q "uztq~u\qp"r~{y"y{pq~zu\¢8"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx"qzmnxqp"m"zq "\¢|q"
{r"sx{nmx"q¡tunu\u{z"\tm\"pqn zw "\tq"y¢\t "{r"\qxq{x{suomx"y{pq~zu\¢"mzp"q¡|x{~q "
\tq" |x ~mxu\¢" {r" y{pq~zu y:" `tq" uzoq|\u{z" {r" \tq" Tm¦mzm" Nuqzzumx" o{uzoupq " |~q-
ou qx¢" u\t"4mzp"uz"\tq"|~{oq "u "uzr{~yqp"n¢5"\tq"\tq{~u£m\u{z"{r"|{ \y{pq~zu y8"
tuot"\tq"Tm¦mzm"Nuqzzumx"mp¦mzoqp"uz"u\ "{ z" m¢"msmuz \"\tq"y{pq~zu\¢9ymwuzs"

 "ymotuzq"{r"\tq"bqzuoq"Nuqzzumx:"U\" m "uz"=ED@"\tm\"Myq~uomz"xu\q~m~¢"o~u\uo"mzp"Ym~¡-

u \"|{xu\uomx"\tq{~u \"R~qp~uo"Vmyq {z"|~q qz\qp"tu " qyuzmx"q m¢"{z"\tq"o x\ ~mx"x{suo"
of late capitalism, a text that continues to be a resource for discussions surrounding 
o x\ ~mx"m |qo\ "{r"sx{nmxu£m\u{z"\{pm¢:31"U\"u "|~qou qx¢"\tq" m¢ "uz" tuot"\tq"Tm¦mzm"
Nuqzzumx" yu~~{~qp" \tq" zq " ~qmpuzs " {r" sx{nmxu£m\u{z" mzp" y{pq~zu\¢Íuz" tuot" u\"
captured the historical, political, and geographic transitions of the eighties, and in 
 Venice or Havana: A Polemic on the Genesis of the Contemporary Biennial
Rafal Niemojewski

tuot"u\"uz\~{p oqp"4mzp"uz" {yq"om q "mz\uou|m\qp5"\tq" tur\ "uz"q¡tunu\u{z 9ymwuzs"

and the discourse surrounding contemporary art—that allow us to identify the Cu-
ban biennial as the most important point of reference for the contemporary  biennial.

_u\ m\qp" m\" \tq" v zo\ ~q" tq~q" sx{nmx" om|u\mxu y" mzp" o x\ ~q" uz\q~ qo\8" tq~q" \tq"
yields of modernity can be used to critique it, the contemporary biennial is a highly 
fractured and fragmented entity that only acquires its full meaning once sited within 
m"su¦qz"o{z\q¡\"4 tq\tq~"\tm\"u "Tm¦mzm8"U \mzn x8"{~"_uzsm|{~q5:"`tq"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"
biennial can generate the public sphere necessary for discussion, articulating  inherent 
o{z\~mpuo\u{z "{r"o x\ ~mx"sx{nmxu£m\u{z:"cu\t"u\ "mynu\u{ "mzp"{r\qz" \{|umz"m |u~m-
\u{z "{r"otmzsuzs"\tq"4m~\5" {~xp8" tuot" q~q"Ù~ \"m~\uo xm\qp"n¢"\tq"Tm¦mzm""Nuqzzumx8"u\"
t{ xp"nq" qqz"\{pm¢"m "m"xm~sqx¢" zmotuq¦qp"|~{vqo\:"M "x{zs"m "\tq"{ \o{yq"{r"o x\ ~mx"
mzp"qo{z{yuo"sx{nmxu£m\u{z"u " \uxx"m"ox{ pqp"yu~~{~8"\tq"rm\q"{r"\tq""o{z\qy|{~m~¢"nu-
qzzumx"~qymuz " z|~qpuo\mnxq" u\t"~q |qo\"\{"n{\t"u\ " ~¦u¦mx"4 u\t"|{ unxq"\~mz -
r{~ym\u{z "mzp"mpv \yqz\ 5"mzp"u\ "om|mou\¢"\{"|~{p oq"m"¦umnxq"mzp"uy|{~\mz\"mx\q~-
zm\u¦q"\{"q¡u \uzs"uz \u\ \u{zmx"r~myq {~w " u\tuz"\tq"o{z\qy|{~m~¢"m~\" {~xp:""  

This essay is a revised version of a ating the art-world calendar, and the 5 Martin Glaser, “Interview with /05&4
lecture given at the Bergen Biennial relative lack of first-hand knowledge René Block,” in Das Leid von der
Conference, September 17–20, 2009. about biennials outside the West does Erde / Songs of the Earth, ed. Barbara
not help the discussions. Even today Heinrich, exh. cat. Kassel, Documenta
relatively few critics and curators (and and Museum Fridericianum Veranstal-
1 Taken from Robert Storr’s text hardly any art historians) travel to see tungs-GmbH, 2000, p. 5.
published in the program of the sym- exhibitions outside the EU and the
posium “Where Art Worlds Meet: Mul- U.S. while the Venice Biennial con- 6 Ibid., p. 5; Okwui Enwezor,
tiple Modernities and the Global Salon,” tinues to be visited and referenced by “Mega-Exhibitions and the Antinomies
December 9–12, 2005, Venice, Istituto thousands. of a Transnational Global Form,” in
Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti. Marieke van Hal, Viktor Misiano, and
3 The employment of Bourdieu’s Igor Zabel (eds.), “Biennials,” special
2 This centrality of the Venice Bi- notion of symbolic capital (see his issue, MJ–Manifesta Journal 2 (Winter
ennial in the discussions surrounding Distinction: A Social Critique of the 2003–Spring 2004), p. 8; Tim Griffin,
the current proliferation of biennials Judgement of Taste [London, 1984]) “Global Tendencies: Globalism and
is indeed commonplace among many in this context is designed to point Large-Scale Exhibition,” Artforum, no.
art historians, critics, and curators (in- to alternative sources of wealth 42 (November 2003), pp. 153–207.
cluding Caroline A. Jones, Tim Griffin, other than economic (financial and
Daniel Birnbaum, Charlotte Bydler, industrial) capital whose value may 7 According to my findings, around
and Carlos Basualdo, to name a few). nevertheless be redeemable and re- fifty new instances of the contemporary
Conspicuously, those representing, convertible back into economic value biennial were introduced from 1984 to
or subscribing to, non-Western per- through a whole series of direct and 2009. Less than half of these exhibi-
spectives tend to be considerably indirect routes, a fact that explains tions can declare a perfect record of re-


more skeptical about its presumed the willingness of city administrators currence, while others at some point(s)
relevance (for instance, Geeta Kapur, to encourage and seek investment in encountered circumstances that led to
Thomas McEvilley, and Gerardo Mos- contemporary biennials and their sen- the postponement or cancellation of
quera). Other commentators who sitivity to the importance of enhancing one or more editions, or, in the most
questioned Venice’s position in re- their city’s image under conditions of severe cases, to their discontinuation.
gards to “younger” biennials include intensified competition. Some of the most emblematic “bien-
René Block and Carolyn Christov- nials,” including those of Havana and
Bakargiev. The general prominence of 4 Rafal Niemojewski, The Rise of Berlin, should in fact call themselves
the Venetian exhibition is due the fact the Contemporary Biennial 1984–2009, triennials, as three-year intervals be-
that it is one of the most popular, pub- doctoral thesis, Royal College of Art, tween consecutive editions have been
licized, and discussed events punctu- London, 2009. more frequent than two-year intervals.
The
Biennial Reader

/05&4 Similarly, the span of time between the tion of works) suggest that Documenta scale with dAPERTutto (APERTO Ev-
first and second editions of the Yoko- should not be discussed separately erywhere), which featured works from
hama Triennial (2001, 2005) was four from other recurring exhibitions. over a hundred artists presented in the
years, thereby technically making it a newly restored Corderie in the Arsenale.
quadrennial. The frequency of such 12 Harald Szeemann quoted in Throughout the eighties Szeemann’s
irregularities suggests that classifying Gabriele Mackert, “At Home in Con- and Oliva’s initiatives can be therefore
perennial exhibitions according to the tradictions: Harald Szeemann’s Docu- seen as exceptions rather than as a sign
pace of recurrence can be arbitrary. menta,” in Michael Glasmeier and of actual structural change, which only
Karin Stengel (eds.), Archive in Motion: truly arrived in the nineties.
8 An official selection committee 50 Years of Documenta 1955–2005
consisting of prominent artists and citi- (Göttingen, 2005), pp. 253–61. 17 That is, at least in terms of quan-
zens born or resident in Venice set out tity, even if, as several critics have
these regulations in the first catalogue 13 One of the earliest commenta- noted, “it was far from an exquisite
published in 1895. The committee had tors of contemporary biennials, Carlos selection.” Like the first edition of
the authority to issue invitations to Basualdo, has asserted that the way Documenta, the first edition of the Ha-
participating artists and to decide on they acquired symbolic capital was vana Biennial featured many historical
the inclusion of works after an open paradoxically linked to their presumed works before shifting its focus entirely
call for submissions had been made. independence from market logic. to recent art production. See Luis Cam-
In his study of the early Venice Bien- While Basualdo argues that the current nitzer, “Report from Havana: The First
nial, Lawrence Alloway asserted that connections of the biennial industry Biennial of Latin American Art,” Art in
the Venetian regulations were largely with the art market are often overstat- America (December 1984), p. 43.
modeled on those of the nineteenth- ed, the Venice Biennial, until 1968, was
century salons, in particular the ones a marketplace in which nearly every 18 As mentioned earlier, the
that took place in Munich in 1886 and work bore a price tag. It is perhaps not short-lived Aperto section of the Ven-
1888. This connection, along with the by total coincidence that 1970 marked ice Biennial introduced in 1980 was
committee’s conspicuous inclination both the end of the sale of art at the dedicated to emerging artists and not
toward Salon art, led him to depict the Venice Biennial and the opening of the necessarily to new works (although
early editions of the Venice Biennial as art fair in Basel, which was founded these two often came hand in hand).
a “Super-Salon.” See Lawrence Allo- by the art dealers and gallerists Trudl The works displayed in that section
way, The Venice Biennale, 1895–1968: Bruckner, Balz Hilt, and Ernst Beyeler. represented only a small percentage of
From Salon to Goldfish Bowl (London, The rapid rise of Art Basel to the rank the total number of works presented at
1968), pp. 33–35. of one of the world’s most important the Biennial, while the more systematic
art events was likely due to the fact that presentation of recent artistic produc-
9 Riccardo Selvatico, Syndic of the art fair, held in June, coincided ev- tion only began in Venice in the nineties
Venice and a member of the original ery two years with the opening of the (notably in 1993 and 1999).
Venice Biennial Commission, quoted in Venice Biennial. It could therefore cater
ibid., p. 32. to the community of collectors, in par- 19 This represented the highest ra-
ticular those coming from across the tio of artists involved during the instal-
10 In 1896, the show was estab- Atlantic looking for new marketplaces lation to date. See Luis Camnitzer, “The
lished as a yearly survey and presented in Europe after the end of commercial V Havana Biennial,” Art Nexus, no. 14
as the Annual Exhibition. In 1950 the activities in Venice. (October–December 1994), pp. 48–55.
exhibition was renamed the Pittsburgh
International and became biannual, and 14 Similar efforts took place dur- 20 See Valerie Cassel, “The Havana
then in 1955 it became triannual. Dur- ing the Architecture Biennial in 1970 at Biennale,” NKA Journal of Contem-
ing the nineteen-seventies its name was the French Pavilion, where architects porary African Art, no. 15 (Fall/Winter
changed to the International Series and Claude Parent and Paul Virilio installed 2001), pp. 14–17.
it broke with the tradition of the survey the first experimental and site-specific
show to present solo exhibitions. The environment. 21 The eighties in Cuba were a
show returned to its original 1896 sur- period marked by more liberal cultural
vey-exhibition format in 1982 and was 15 Gerhard Richter displayed his policies and a considerably more open
renamed the Carnegie International. series of forty-eight grayscale paintings approach on the part of the Cuban gov-
of identical size based on photographic ernment to cultural and international
11 Until its fifth edition in 1972, portraits taken out of the encyclopedia. exchange.
Documenta recurred at four-year in-
tervals (excepting the five-year interval 16 Aperto continued to present 22 For example, the fourth edition
between the second and third editions works by emerging artists throughout of the Havana Biennial (1991) featured
of 1959 and 1964), but from then on at the eighties. However, without curato- an extensive program of parallel events


intervals of five years. The considerably rial direction strong enough to respect including the international conference
longer period of preparation (matched Szeemann’s initial vision, its relevance “Cultural Domination and Alternatives
by a considerably bigger budget) rein- and visibility gradually waned. The sec- to Colonisation,” whose list of speak-
forced Documenta’s reputation as one tion was given a particularly important ers included the editors of Third Text
of the leading surveys of contemporary focus during the forty-fifth edition of Rasheed Araeen and Guy Brett, art-
art. Despite its specific pace of recur- the Biennial under the artistic direc- ist and critic Luis Camnitzer, historian
rence, many other characteristics of the tion of Achille Bonito Oliva, but then it Iván de la Nuez, cultural theorist Nelly
post-1972 editions of Documenta (the disappeared from view once more. As Richard, philosopher Eduardo Subirats,
artistic direction, selection of curators, the artistic director of the forty-eighth and critic and scholar Jorge Glusberg
curatorial strategies, shared lexicon, and edition in 1999, Szeemann revived the among many others.
discursive frameworks, as well as selec- concept of Aperto on a much larger
 Venice or Havana: A Polemic on the Genesis of the Contemporary Biennial
Rafal Niemojewski

23 The areas of thought incor- similar procedure, is to some extent a tories that could now be best described /05&4
porated into the general lexicon of teleological construct and as such it can as emerging economies or developed
contemporary biennials via theories be criticized and disputed. In order to fur- countries in Europe, Asia, South
of globalization and postcolonialism ther assess it, I suggest comparing it to America, and the Middle East. With
include sociology, architectural theory, two other periodizations presented in the the new world order in place after the
anthropology, philosophy, feminist available literature, those of René Block end of the Cold War, the preceding ra-
theory, queer theory, urban studies, and Charlotte Bydler. Block’s panorama tionale based on political alliances, the
cultural studies, film studies, and liter- of biennials conspicuously excludes the theory of development, and the notion
ary criticism. While the Havana Biennial Venice Biennial. Explaining this deliber- of periphery defined either geographi-
(or any other contemporary biennial, ate omission in the catalogue, Block said cally or symbolically could no longer
for that matter) cannot under any cir- that he saw the Venice Biennial at that be used to comprehend the second
cumstances be given exclusive credit time, with its impermeable structure of stage of biennial proliferation. Instead,
for the entry of extra-artistic discourses individually funded and curated national it was necessary to privilege a different
into the realm of contemporary art, it representations, as the antithesis of the approach, using the nomenclature and
is nonetheless significant that its early younger biennials he was interested in. division into strategic alliances defined
editions and the beginning of the pro- See Block’s remarks in Glaser 2000 (see by the system of the global economy
liferation of the new model coincided note 5), p. 4; see also Charlotte Bydler, and economic deregulation: the single
with this shift. The contribution of a The Global Art World, Inc.: On the Glo- market of the European Union includ-
new breed of globalized biennials to balization of Contemporary Art (Uppsala, ing its new members from Eastern and
the hybridization of the discourse sur- 2004), p. 151. An abridged version of the Central Europe, the highly developed
rounding contemporary art and exhi- latter appears in the present volume. economies of the Asian Tigers, the
bitions should be seen as significant, emerging markets of BRIC and Mer-
particularly with regard to the progres- 29 Michael Hardt and Antonio Ne- cosul countries, countries united by
sive absorption and dissemination of gri, Empire (Cambridge [MA], 2000). NAFTA, and the Gulf oil states. The shift
postcolonial thought (or, more broadly, in the geopolitical and economic iden-
discourses giving prominence to the 30 At this writing, the prolifera- tity of the contemporary biennial was
concept of alterity) and to the new tion of the contemporary biennial had concurrent with a change in ideologi-
voices and theories (re)articulated out- acquired a time-bound niche in recent cal perspectives. Most of the biennials
side Western academia. exhibition history. The analysis of the that emerged during the first phase
dynamic of proliferation (with a sig- were characterized by a strong desire
24 Rachel Weiss, “The Sixth Havana nificant shift occurring around 1995) to challenge the status quo of unequal
Biennial,” Art Nexus, no. 26 (October– allows us to pinpoint the association power relations within the art world
December 1997), p. 77. of the contemporary biennial and the and the world at large. In contrast, the
processes of globalization to appear majority of contemporary biennials es-
25 At this writing, the contemporary as truth and eventually something tablished after 1995, according to the
art of African countries and the African self-evident. The early stage of the interpretation presented by Negri and
diaspora still haven’t found a satisfying proliferation of the contemporary bien- Hardt, can be read as “projects from
platform of presentation in Venice. nial (1984–95) was marked by the ap- within” that articulate their agendas ac-
pearance of new instances in territories cording to a new world order in which
26 As mentioned earlier, the largely peripheral to and disconnected ideological opposition and political
changes announced by Aperto in 1980 from the core of the contemporary blocks can no longer be easily drawn
and then subsequently applied in 1993 art world, which at that time was still on a world map.
and 1999 can be seen as milestones in centralized and revolved around the
the history of the Venice Biennial. How- few Western art capitals that had been 31 Fredric Jameson, “Postmod-
ever, the archaic and questionable sys- empowered throughout the modern ernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late
tem of national representations contin- era. The earliest contemporary bien- Capitalism,” New Left Review, no. 146
ues to be this biennial’s defining feature. nial organizations (those of Havana (July–August 1984), pp. 59–92. This
and Cairo) emerged in territories then controversial article, which would later
27 This early instance of a biennial designated as being part of the Third be expanded to a full-length book in
serving as a discursive platform can be World, which could be translated as 1991, was part of a series of analyses
discussed in relation to broader shifts geographically remote, and politically of postmodernism from the dialectical
in curatorial practice and discourse and and economically incompatible with point of view Jameson had developed
in developments in art practice, which the centers of Western art. Others ma- in his earlier work on narrative. Other
required the establishment of new terialized in the peripheries and semi- dates—associated perhaps with semi-
frameworks for the production, media- peripheries with an analogous agenda nal works by Baudrillard, Foucault, Der-
tion, and dissemination of art. For details of correcting and decentralizing the rida, Perry Anderson, Richard Rorty, or
on this, see Paul O’Neill, “The Curatorial cartography of the art world inherited others—could be quoted here as mark-


Turn: From Practice to Discourse,” in Ju- from modernity. One thing that these ers of the postmodernist critique of
dith Rugg and Michele Sedgwick (eds.), various places had in common was that modernity, but Jameson’s pronounce-
Issues in Curating Contemporary Art they were localized on the margins of ment seems as useful as any to me with
and Performance (Bristol, 2008), pp. dominant culture, within the regions regard to the contemporary biennial.
13–28. This essay has also been re- of the so-called social, cultural, and/or
printed in the present volume. geographical periphery, or of the “Oth-
er.” The vast majority of the contempo-
28 I would, however, like to acknowl- rary biennials established during the
edge that the periodization I put forward second stage of biennial proliferation
in this paper, just like Robert Storr’s ge- (roughly 1995 to the present), on the
nealogy, or, as a matter of fact, any other other hand, were localized in the terri-