Cuban Art Scene Revitalized Amid Political and Economic Shifts
After years of seclusion, Cuba's artistic landscape is experiencing a resurgence, spurred by the 2015 thaw in relations between Raul Castro and Barack Obama, as well as the Rolling Stones' performance in Havana on March 25, 2016. Artists from the 1970s-80s diaspora, including Félix González-Torres, Ana Mendieta, and Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, are now receiving global acclaim. Meanwhile, a new wave of talent such as Kcho, Tania Bruguera, and Los Carpinteros is making its mark both locally and internationally. Notable contemporary spaces include the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and Instituto Superior de Arte, along with emerging galleries like Factoria Habana. Collectors observe that Cuban art remains relatively affordable compared to its US counterparts. Upcoming exhibitions in Italy feature "That's Cuba" in Venice and "Cuba. Tatuare la storia," set to open on July 5, 2016, in Milan.
Key facts
- Rolling Stones concert in Havana on March 25, 2016 drew 500,000 people.
- Raul Castro and Barack Obama announced reopening of embassies in 2015.
- Cuban art diaspora includes Félix González-Torres, Ana Mendieta, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons.
- Arte Continua opened in Havana in spring 2015 at the Aguila de Oro cinema.
- Collector Howard Farber described Cuban art prices as 'ridiculously low'.
- Artemundi Global Fund and Tiroche De Leon invest in Cuban art.
- Exhibition 'Cuba. Tatuare la storia' opens July 5, 2016 at PAC Milan.
- Reynier Leyva Novo's work 'Il peso della storia' (2014) measures ink weight of Cuban laws.
Entities
Artists
- Félix González-Torres
- Ana Mendieta
- Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons
- Kcho
- Tania Bruguera
- Los Carpinteros
- René Peña
- Alejandro Campins
- José Yaque
- Reynier Leyva Novo
- Lázaro Saavedra
- Martha Jiménez
- Carlos Garaicoa
- Camilo Cienfuegos
- Ignacio Agramonte
- José Martí
- Antonio Maceo
- Leonardo Padura Fuentes
- Eusebio Leal Spengler
- Armando Prieto Pérez
- Howard Farber
- Javier Lumbreras
- Diego Sileo
- Giacomo Zaza
- Niccolò Guasti
- Antonella Crippa
- Mike Jagger
- Pierluigi Battista
- Raul Castro
- Barack Obama
- Michelle Obama
- Pope Francis
- Patriarch Kirill
Institutions
- Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
- Centro Wifredo Lam
- Instituto Superior de Arte
- Biennale de L’Avana
- Factoria Habana
- Oficina de l’historiador de la ciudad
- Habaguanex
- Arte Continua
- Galleria Continua
- Sean Kelly Gallery
- David Zwirner
- Galleria Zacheta
- Ludwig Museum
- Palazzo Tiepolo Salvadori
- Venice Art Society
- Isolo 17
- PAC Milan
- Silvana Editoriale
- Artribune
- Huffington Post
- Corriere della Sera
- Artemundi Global Fund
- Tiroche De Leon
- Intesa Sanpaolo
Locations
- Cuba
- Havana
- Habana Vieja
- Vedado
- Miramar
- Centro Habana
- Bario Chino
- Aguila de Oro
- Cienfuegos
- Trinidad
- Camagüey
- Plaza del Carmen
- Milan
- Italy
- Venice
- San Gimignano
- New York
- United States
- Europe
- Russia
- Cairo
- Egypt
- Australia
- Coblenz
- Germany
- Warsaw
- Poland
- Shanghai
- China