The 1st Quito Biennial

In April 1968, the first and only edition of the Quito Biennial was inaugurated. In a context defined by the rise of internationalization discourse and the cultural politics of the Cold War in Latin America, this biennial was created by the public institution Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana with the intention of including Ecuadorian artist in the international art scene. But rather than accomplishing its mission, the 1st Quito Biennial exposed deep divisions within the local art scene and highlighted the limitations of its cultural infrastructure. This chapter reconstructs the history of the 1st Quito Biennial through press materials and situates it within the broader regional context, exploring how the intellectual networks and diplomatic relations that defined the debates and market trends that contribute to the idea of modern art in Latin America affected regional art histories and how isolated countries, like Ecuador, attempted to participate in the biennial circuits, living its particular ruptures and internal conflicts.