Biennales in Latin America

Latin America produced two of the institutions that changed what a biennale could be. The São Paulo Biennial, founded in 1951 and housed since 1957 in Oscar Niemeyer’s pavilion in Ibirapuera Park, was built to rival Venice and remains free to visit. The Havana Biennial, which opened in 1984, was the first international biennale organized around art from the Global South, and by its 3rd edition in 1989 it had set aside national representation for a curated survey.

Brazil carries the densest network. The Mercosul Biennial in Porto Alegre, founded in 1997, was meant to show that the conversation could be organized outside the São Paulo and Rio axis. The Curitiba Biennial grew from a 1993 regional exhibition, and the FRESTAS Triennial in Sorocaba closed its 4th edition in August 2026. Elsewhere, the Bienal de Cuenca in Ecuador dates to 1987, and Poli/Gráfica de Puerto Rico concentrates on print. Cuenca’s 17th edition, The Game: A Biennial of Biennials, recorded more than 109,000 visits before closing on February 1, 2026.

One major edition is open as of October 1, 2026: the 16th Bienal Internacional de Curitiba, LIMIARES, curated by Adriana Almada and Tereza de Arruda, at the Museu Oscar Niemeyer and partner venues until November 15. Looking ahead, the 37th Bienal de São Paulo, curated by Amanda Carneiro and Raphael Fonseca, takes place in 2027, and the Mercosul foundation has said its 15th edition will follow in 2028. Havana, Cuenca, and the Bienal del Sur have not announced their next editions. Follow the 2027 calendar for confirmed dates.