Lázaro Saavedra on the 1989 Bienal de La Habana and 'La tradición del humor'

In a 2009 interview with Rachel Weiss for Afterall's Exhibition Histories series, Cuban artist Lázaro Saavedra (born 1964, Havana) reflects on his participation in the 1989 Bienal de La Habana and the controversial exhibition 'La tradición del humor' ('The Tradition of Humour'). Saavedra, a graduate of Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) and lecturer there since 1991, was part of Grupo Puré in the 1980s, the Pilón community project (1988–1989), and the collective Enema in the 1990s. His work 'Dr Jekyll y Mr Hyde' (1987/89) for the Bienal consisted of two texts—one typed on poor paper in Spanish, another computer-printed in English—that appropriated 'The Emperor's New Clothes' to critique the biennial system and Third World art visibility. Saavedra discusses the curatorial decision by Llilian Llanes Godoy to group young artists under a humorous theme, which many saw as softening critical discourse. He mentions works by Tonel (Antonio Eligio Fernández), Carlos Cárdenas, Glexis Novoa, and Ciro Quintana. Saavedra also describes his cynical view of the Bienal as a platform for international projection, a sentiment that grew in the 1990s. He contrasts the Bienal's original reflective purpose with its later resemblance to an art fair focused on sales. The interview touches on the politics of selection, the role of Gerardo Mosquera, and Saavedra's second, uninvited participation in 1991 with 'El desafío de mi arte', where he ironically sold himself.