Havana, Cuba: The capital of Cuba wakes up today decked out with just 48 hours to go before the opening of the 14th edition of the Havana Biennial, the largest contemporary arts event on the island, Prensa Latina publishes.
Posters, banners, flags are exhibited in the capital’s streets, turned into open-air galleries and ready to choose international projects and those of the Cuban nation during six months of debate and exchange of experiences under the motto Future and Contemporary.
Preamble, name of the number one proposal that begins on Friday and will run until December 5, comprises a program of activities that includes exhibitions and theoretical meetings with the participation of some thirty foreign artists.
They complete the cycle of the Havana Biennial and Return to the Future, which will take place from December 6 to March 24 and from March 25 to April 30, respectively, in various cultural institutions such as the Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center and the Center for the Development of Visual Arts, among others.
According to the organizers, everything is ready for the contest despite the boycott attempts, with which they try to deny the respect and prestige of the event and of the creators of the visual arts in the world who participate.
We can assure that the decision to celebrate the Biennial responded to the wishes of many artists and specialists, to the imperative of stabilizing its biannual periodicity and to the universalist vocation and open culture, said the director of the contest, Nelson Ramírez de Arellano.
We believe that it is our mission to defend the existence of an anti-hegemonic space, which privileges dialogue, freedom and the right of art to exist and be shared, recognizing its value to transform and its power to propel humanity towards a more promising future and inclusive, Ramírez added.
Support for the event was extended to the international community, thanks to the repercussion of the letter Yes for the Havana Biennial, written by Mexican artists and backed by more than 600 creators from 35 countries to denounce the sabotage attempts.