2017 Cuba: looks from art

Visual Arts also constitute the portrait of a country, they let us see its sensitivity and appreciate its spiritualities, that’s why, here you can enjoy our tour through the most outstanding moments of Cuban plastic arts in 2017.

Tens of important exhibitions were shown during this period, among them, those by several National Plastic Arts laureates: Pedro Pablo Oliva at the Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center, Manuel Mendive at the provincial gallery of Mayabeque, which also hosted Nelson Domínguez and Pedro de Oraá at Collage Habana in the Cuban capital.

The Grand Theater of Havana opened its spaces on November for DE LA IDEA A LA FORMA (FROM IDEA TO FORM), a group exhibition on Cuban sculpture in tribute to the 32nd anniversary of CODEMA and the 105th birth anniversary of Rita Longa. Closing the month, the Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center housed ALEGRETO CANTABILE, personal exhibition in homage to the 90th birth anniversary of Raúl Martínez. And to bid farewell to the old year, Cuba’s 2016 National Plastic Arts laureate José Manuel Fors inaugurated PALIMPSESTO at the National Museum of Fine Arts (MNBA Spanish acronym).

Among the exhibitions of greater importance in 2017 highlights went to CUBA EN PELOTA (CUBA IN BASEBALL), with works by Reynerio Tamayo, throughout March at Havana Gallery. SE HACE CAMINO AL ANDAR (YOU MAKE THE PATH AS YOU WALK), group exhibition from the collection of the National Council for Plastic Arts, between August and September at the Alicia Alonso Grand Theater of Havana.

Sin Máscaras (Without Masks), great group exhibition that brought together works from Afro-Cuban art at Fine Arts in July. LA GRAN ESPIRAL (THE BIG SPIRAL) in remembrance of the famous “Salón de Mayo”, from October and at the National Museum of Fine Arts too.

The 80 years of two of the greatest Cuban creators were celebrated with two personal exhibits: Eduardo Muñoz Bach, on April 12th; and René de la Nuez, on September 8th.

Among the exhibitions by important foreign artists this year there stand out PINHOLES, by Norwegian photographer Morten Loberg, in February, at the Fototeca de Cuba. British sculptor Tony Cragg exhibited in April at the National Museum of Fine Arts. French designer and photographer Maurice Renoma in June, at Havana Gallery. For his part, German Albert Oehlen inaugurated his exhibit at the National Museum of Fine Arts in July; meanwhile, US Ben Jones inaugurated his at the end of that month in the same place.

One of the luxury collections that this important museum put at the public’s disposal this year was the one by Russian-born American Boris Lurie, opened since late September.

Plastic Arts creators paid homage to leaders of the Cuban Revolution. In October, Alba House showed TRIBUTO (TRIBUTE), exhibition dedicated to Che on the 50th anniversary of his murder in Bolivia, with the work by important artists; while photographer Alex Castro, exhibited FIDEL. RETRATO ÍNTIMO (FIDEL. INTIMATE PORTRAIT), in homage to the historical leader of the Revolution Fidel Castro, in Santiago de Cuba, on occasion of the first anniversary of his physical disappearance.

Important collective spaces of Cuba and the world exhibited our art too: fourteen Cuban artists participated in the famous Venice Art Biennale. The Visual Arts Development Center hosted the 7th Salon of Contemporary Cuban Art and the Fototeca de Cuba and other spaces housed Noviembre Fotográfico.

Several provinces held plastic arts salons, which gathered the creation by artists from dissimilar generations.

And closing this 2017, painter and engraver Eduardo Roca, alias Choco, received the National Plastic Arts Award for his valuable contribution to visual arts development in Cuba.

Translated by Jorge Mesa Benjamin / Cubasi Translation Staff