Guides

Critical companions to the world’s biennales.

Editorial guides to the major recurring exhibitions, each read at full critical weight: the current edition, the defining moments, and the people behind the institution.

A high view over tiled roofs to a triangular point of land with a low customs house and a domed church, with the lagoon beyond
Venice, Italy

Venice Biennale

The oldest and most influential biennale of contemporary art.

Est. 1895The Punta della Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute from above, Venice.
A tall stone obelisk rises from misty parkland and trees in golden light, with a wall of towers faint in the distance
São Paulo, Brazil

Bienal de São Paulo

The second-oldest biennale, and Latin America's defining survey.

Est. 1951The Obelisk and Ibirapuera Park in morning haze, São Paulo. Photo: Felipe Barradas.
A waterfall drops over mossy rocks beneath a small arched iron bridge into a pool, framed by ferns
Kassel, Germany

documenta

The five-yearly exhibition that resets contemporary art's terms.

Est. 1955The Teufelsbrücke waterfall in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, Kassel. Photo: Marcel L.
An aerial view of a steel arch bridge crossing a blue harbor to a cluster of towers, with a white shell-roofed building on a point
Sydney, Australia

Biennale of Sydney

The Asia-Pacific's leading biennale of contemporary art.

Est. 1973Sydney Harbour from the air, with the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the city center.
An aerial view of a dense skyline of towers rising behind a wide river under scattered clouds
New York, USA

Whitney Biennial

The recurring survey that takes the temperature of American art.

Est. 1932Midtown Manhattan across the East River, New York. Photo: Thomas Habr.
A small green island with a footbridge sits in a calm lagoon, with a line of towers on the far shore
Sharjah, UAE

Sharjah Biennial

A defining platform for art from the Global South.

Est. 1993A wooded island in a lagoon below the skyline, Sharjah. Photo: Hassan Pasha.
A round stone tower with a conical roof rises above pale apartment buildings on a hillside in warm light, with a flock of gulls in the sky
Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul Biennial

Contemporary art where Europe and Asia meet.

Est. 1987Gulls over the Galata Tower, Istanbul. Photo: Anna Berdnik.
A panoramic view of a large low complex with green roofs and sunken courts set among trees, ringed by city buildings and hills under clouds
Gwangju, South Korea

Gwangju Biennale

Asia's first biennale, rooted in a legacy of democratic memory.

Est. 1995A cultural complex and the city center from above, Gwangju. Photo: Asia Culture Center.
A surfer rides a breaking wave beside a rocky shore with houses and a headland beyond
Dakar, Senegal

Dak'Art

The continent's foremost biennale of contemporary African art.

Est. 1992A surfer on a wave off the coast, Dakar. Photo: Thomas de Luze.
Manifesta
Roaming, Europe

Manifesta

The nomadic European biennale, a new host city each edition.

Est. 1996
Large cantilevered fishing nets on wooden frames stand in silhouette over the water with the sun behind them
Kochi, India

Kochi-Muziris Biennale

India's first and largest biennale of contemporary art.

Est. 2012Chinese fishing nets at sunset, Fort Kochi. Photo: Rishi Sreekar.
An aerial view of a dense cluster of skyscrapers at the tip of an island, with two suspension bridges crossing the river in the foreground
New York, USA

Performa

The biennale dedicated to live performance.

Est. 2005Lower Manhattan with the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, New York. Photo: Patrick Tomasso.
The directory

The biennale circuit, in one place.

These are the headline guides. The full directory runs to 100+ recurring biennales, with the structured database alongside.

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