13th Havana Biennial Navigates Financial and Bureaucratic Challenges with 'The Challenge of the Possible'

Delayed by Hurricane Irma, the 13th Havana Biennial opened with the theme 'The Challenge of the Possible,' coinciding with the city's 500th anniversary. Curated by seven Cuban curators led by Nelson Herrera Ysla and 21 international guests, the event features works across Havana, Matanzas, Sancti Spiritus, Cienfuegos, and Camagüey. Alexia Miranda's performance 'Tejido Colectivo' at the Wifredo Lam Center addresses social transformation in El Salvador. Syrian artist Manaf Halbouni exhibits a car converted into a mobile studio, reflecting displacement. Brazilian artist Lais Myrrha presents 'Cronografia dos Desmanches,' documenting real estate speculation since 2012. Ruy Cézar Campos shows videos exploring submarine cable infrastructure connecting Brazil, Angola, and Colombia. Marilá Dardot's performance 'Volver' in Matanzas involves writing with water on a wall. Established Cuban artists Kcho (Alexys Leyva Machado), Carlos Garaicoa, and Los Carpinteros are featured in 'Museus Interiores' at the National Museum of Fine Arts, with Garaicoa's 'Partitura' incorporating 70 street musicians from Madrid and Bilbao. The biennial has faced financial difficulties and ideological friction since its 1984 founding, with critics noting it doesn't rank among its best editions.