ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

The 1989 Havana Biennial: A Pivotal Third World Exhibition That Redefined Global Art

exhibition · 2026-04-20

Opening on 1 November 1989, the third Bienal de La Habana marked a significant moment in art history by presenting a global, thematic perspective beyond the Euro-American framework. Curated by Llilian Llanes Godoy and Gerardo Mosquera at the Centro Wifredo Lam, the exhibition centered on 'Tradition and Contemporaneity' and featured the main display, 'Tres Mundos', along with four thematic núcleos. Following the previous biennials in 1984 and 1986, it sought to create a 'new international cultural order' for art from the Third World, showcasing over 850 pieces by 538 artists from 54 nations, including notable figures like Eugenio Dittborn and Sebastião Salgado. This event coincided with the Berlin Wall's collapse and highlighted the friction between Cuba's emerging artists and government authorities, promoting cultural dialogue and public engagement.

Key facts

  • The third Bienal de La Habana opened on 1 November 1989.
  • It was the first biennial to reject national presentations and prizes, adopting a thematic structure.
  • The theme was 'Tradition and Contemporaneity', organized into a central exhibition and four núcleos.
  • It featured 538 artists from 54 countries, showcasing art from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
  • Key figures included director Llilian Llanes Godoy and lead researcher Gerardo Mosquera.
  • The event coincided with the fall of the Berlin Wall and internal Cuban political tensions.
  • It aimed to establish a 'new international cultural order' for Third World art.
  • The biennial emphasized public access, conferences, and a mix of contemporary and popular cultural forms.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Afterall
  • Centro Wifredo Lam
  • Bienal de La Habana
  • Dirección de Artes Plásticas
  • Casa de las Américas
  • Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
  • Pabellón Cuba
  • Instituto Superior de Arte
  • Comités de Defensa de la Revolución (CDRs)
  • Ministry of Culture
  • Ministry of Tourism
  • Ministry of Exterior Relations
  • Ministry of Armed Forces
  • Central Committee of the Communist Party
  • Union of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC)
  • Departamento de Orientación Revolucionaria (DOR)
  • National Institute of Tourism (INTUR)
  • Museum of Modern Art, New York
  • Centre Georges Pompidou
  • Grande Halle de la Villette
  • Venice Biennale
  • Bienal de São Paulo
  • Documenta
  • Indian Triennale
  • International Cairo Biennial
  • FESTAC
  • Bienal de Arte, Medellín
  • Biennale de l'Art Bantu Contemporain
  • Mpapa Gallery
  • British Council
  • Ludwig Forum
  • Border Art Workshop
  • Casa de África
  • Museo de Artes Decorativas
  • Casa Simón Bolívar
  • Casa de México
  • Fototeca de Cuba
  • Galería L
  • Casa de la Obrapía
  • Galería Servando Cabrera Moreno
  • Universidad de La Habana
  • Philippines Cultural Center
  • Saddam Hussein Center
  • Venezuelan National Gallery of Art
  • Mexican National Institute of Fine Arts
  • Lalit Kala Academy
  • Museum of Fine Arts (Havana)
  • Castillo de la Fuerza
  • Fondo de Bienes Culturales
  • Magnum Photos
  • Ministry of Culture (Cuba)
  • Union of Writers and Artists (UNEAC)
  • Museum of Decorative Arts (Havana)
  • Third Text
  • Taylor & Francis
  • Universidad Ricardo Palma
  • Grupo Puré
  • Pilón
  • Enema
  • Magiciens de la Terre
  • The Other Story

Locations

  • Havana
  • Cuba
  • Paris
  • France
  • Berlin
  • Germany
  • New York
  • United States
  • Venice
  • Italy
  • São Paulo
  • Brazil
  • Moscow
  • Soviet Union
  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Mexico City
  • Mexico
  • Lima
  • Peru
  • Santiago
  • Chile
  • Buenos Aires
  • Argentina
  • New Delhi
  • India
  • Cairo
  • Egypt
  • Gabon
  • Kinshasa
  • Zaire
  • Brazzaville
  • Burkina Faso
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Mozambique
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
  • Angola
  • Philippines
  • Sudan
  • Venezuela
  • Colombia
  • Bolivia
  • Martinique
  • Haiti
  • Nigeria
  • Tanzania
  • North Korea
  • Vietnam
  • China
  • South Korea
  • Somalia
  • Uganda
  • Ethiopia
  • Mali
  • Laos
  • Thailand
  • Kenya
  • Oaxaca
  • Juchitán
  • Tierra del Fuego
  • Sierra Maestra
  • Solentiname Islands
  • Caibarién
  • Bandung
  • Indonesia
  • Guantánamo
  • Brazilian Northeast
  • Great Britain
  • Ecuador
  • Mongolia
  • Palestine
  • Guinea Bissau
  • Guinea Conakry
  • USA
  • Miami

Sources

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