Born in 1991 in a dramatic conflict situation, the Cetinje Biennal is one of the most relevant international art events, symbolising the opening of the Balkan region to international exchanges. While it is an international platform, the Biennal also provides an environment for developing creative expression by local artists, while combatting a tendency towards isolation of the region.

For a long time the Biennal was witness to ongoing destruction in the region, later to the difficult reconstruction and integration phases.
Its international cooperative approach became explicit in 2004 with the link to the "In The Cities Of The Balkans project", the second part of the “Balkans Trilogy" initiated by the Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel.