A Season of Art in Havana
Every two years, Havana transforms into one of the most vibrant art capitals of the world through the Havana Biennial. Since its founding in 1984, the Biennial has become Latin America’s most important gathering for contemporary art, welcoming hundreds of artists from across the globe.
The first edition focused on Latin America and the Caribbean, but since 1986, artists from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East have joined, making Havana a true crossroads of the Global South. Here, the city itself becomes the gallery—its plazas, museums, and streets alive with paintings, sculptures, performances, installations, and works that defy category. Even the casual traveler, unaware of the event, soon finds themselves surrounded by art.
Art Without Borders
The Biennial is not just about showing art—it is about dialogue. The works presented explore themes such as the tension between tradition and modernity, the legacy of colonization, memory and technology, and the pace of urban life. These subjects are not abstract—they are lived realities reflected in the voices of artists from regions often overlooked by mainstream art markets.
Havana provides the perfect stage. Colonial facades and revolutionary murals frame new creations, while the Malecón hosts installations open to the sea breeze. To walk through Havana during the Biennial is to witness art merging seamlessly with daily life.
My Cigars for the Biennial
For me, the Biennial is also a time of reflection—and reflection carries with it the ritual of a fine cigar. On afternoons when I wander between galleries and open-air installations, I often carry a Montecristo Especiales No. 2. Slim and elegant, it burns slowly, giving me time to consider the questions each work raises.
But in the evenings, when conversations about art stretch late into Havana’s cafés and courtyards, I reach for the Bolívar Belicosos Finos. Strong, complex, unapologetic—it suits the intensity of debates about culture, identity, and the future. Paired with a glass of aged rum, it becomes part of the dialogue itself.
If you come, I recommend stopping at our cigar shop before joining the Biennial. Choose something that suits your journey—a Romeo y Julieta for its elegance, a Partagás Serie P No. 2 for its fire. A cigar frames the moment and lingers, just as art does.
Curated Voices, Global Perspectives
The Biennial is organized by the Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center in Havana, through a research-driven curatorial process. Artists are chosen not only for fame, but for their engagement with the festival’s chosen theme. This ensures the Biennial remains a stage for urgent, meaningful voices rather than just marketable names.
International colleagues contribute to the process, reinforcing the Biennial’s role as a true dialogue among cultures. It is not about spectacle—it is about connection.
Travel and Tradition
For those who come from abroad, the Biennial is only the beginning. Through trusted partners, we arrange travel agreements, guided tours, and curated cultural itineraries. Imagine spending the day with art installations, then touring a legendary cigar factory, or ending the night at a trova concert in Old Havana.
The Biennial becomes a centerpiece for experiencing Havana in all its richness—art, music, history, and tobacco traditions woven into one journey.
An Invitation to See Differently
The Havana Biennial is more than an exhibition. It is a mirror of the world’s complexities, a voice for the overlooked, and a reminder that art is resistance, memory, and celebration.
Whether you plan to come for the next edition or the one after, I invite you to walk Havana’s streets when the Biennial returns. Let the works surprise you. Step into galleries, pause in plazas, follow the crowd along the Malecón.
And when the day ends, sit under the Havana night sky, light your cigar, and reflect. Because in Havana, art and tobacco share the same truth: both are crafted with patience, lived with passion, and remembered long after they fade.
