Havana Biennial

First held in 1984 as a political exercise to showcase Third World visual arts for First World art tourists, the Havana Biennial, which is held every two years, has proved itself a worthy event, attracting dozens of artists who exhibit their works over a two-month period in the Cuban capital. In recent years, the art festival has been dogged by withdrawal of sponsorship because of censorship and a government crackdown on cultural freedom.