Important international biennials and places to visit to watch art

In an interesting and insightful essay (‘Where to Go to See Art in 2012’; The New York Times), the director- chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, Thelma Golden, underlines the fact that art is a great starting point for exploring the world. The writer mentions of the fact that it’s art exhibitions and projects which largely determine the itinerary. What else the art expert recommends:

• There are so many biennials and triennials, you could combine them for a fascinating itinerary. To start: Arts in Marrakesh Biennale in Morocco February 29 through June 3; the Paris Triennial April to August; the seventh Berlin Biennial April-July; the 11th Havana Biennial May through June 11 in Cuba; Manifesta 9 in Belgium June to September; Documenta in Kassel, Germany, June through September; and São Paulo Biennial (September-December, 2012)

• New York is always at the top of the list because at any given moment, as this city is filled with exhibitions that allow people to be reacquainted with art and artists they love, and to discover new art — sometimes in the same institution. This year, there’s the Whitney Biennial 2012 and the New Museum Triennial: 'The Ungovernables'.
  
  
• In June, the Studio Museum and our peer institutions El Museo del Barrio and the Queens Museum of Art will open the collaborative, multi-site exhibition ‘Caribbean: Crossroads of the World’, surveying art from the Caribbean and offering new ideas about this amazing part of the world and its contributions to art and culture.
  
  
• One of the most inspiring places to see art is, for me, the Tate Modern in London. It’s among my favorite physical spaces, as the architecture really facilitates engaging with the work on view. You can look forward to the Yayoi Kusama retrospective that opens in February.
  
  
• Placing museums and art at the center of any itinerary gives you a point of entry for so many wonderful places. The biennial Dak’art is a reason to explore not just Dakar’s visual art, but also its music, performance, design and more; this year’s iteration opens in May.