THE ART
Before the trip we looked up the artists we were to visit. The pieces looked interesting but we certainly weren't in the market for new art (of course we brought extra money - just in case). We looked forward to meeting the artists and learning about their work, but couldn't begin to imagine what was actually to come. We make our first studio visit and well, "wow" is the word that comes to mind. Non-stop wow. Let me walk you through the artists we visited...
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To say we are big fans of Esterio would be an understatement. In fact, we made 2 purchases - both of which will make their appearances in the new Troika facility come October. Stay tuned for that. (CHECK OUT THE POST ON THE HOME PAGE ABOUT THE INSTALLATION) Esterio has exhibited internationally. He works out of an amazing home he bought and transformed into a studio. His work is often large and he has several assistants to help with crafting it. It ranges from photos of illegal satellite dishes hidden under plastic bags to actual cars being turned into submarines.
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This was a fun visit. There are no private galleries in Cuba, so artists promote themselves and welcome visitors to their homes and studios. Kadir threw a roast-pig dinner party. It was a lot of fun (and the best food of the trip). Though no purchases, we do have our eye on his work. 40 years old, he has also been exhibited internationally - including an upcoming show at the William Turner Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. The stand-out pieces use pre-revolution advertising signs (complete with erosion and sometimes bullet holes) and incorporate mostly photographic imagery from the time.
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The most well known of the artists we visited, Toirac is in the collections of MOMA, the Pompidou, and other museums in Canada, the US, Germany, Spain and Switzerland. We visited him in an apartment in the very "real" section of Havana. It's more of an exhibition space than a studio. He spent a lot of time with us going over his work in detail. He has created a lot of controversial pieces many of which have never seen the light of day in Cuba.
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Dan had the privilege of visiting Roberto Fabelo's home and studio. Stuart was meeting with the artist to go over a future exhibit at MOLAA and Dan got to tag along. Though the rest of us didn't experience this, it is very worth including because of the quality and style of Roberto's art. Enjoy.
(the photos are all Dan's) |
STREET ART, MURALS & GRAFFITI (aND SOME POLITICS THROWN IN FOR FUN)
A lot of great pictures to look at.
JUANITO DELGADO
INDEPENDENT CURATOR
Juanito deserves his own section. He's the director of The Cuban Arts Project, an independent art curator, and an art consultant. You already saw him above working with Stuart on the Roberto Fabelo show. He had us all over to his house for mojitos and appetizers. We got a chance to see his art collection and watch a documentary he has made of an amazing art project he developed in conjunction with last year's Havana Biennial - "Behind the Wall." Click on the image to the left to see a trailer. The pictures below are from Juanito's house.
ISA (INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE ARTES)
The Art Institute of Havana was built after the revolution on the site of an old country club . It was never fully completed and has gone through various stages of use. It wasn't until recently that there was enough money and concerted effort to partially finish the school. It was initially designed with 5 programs - ballet, music, drama, modern dance and fine art (the national dance schools are still not operating out of this space). Three architects were involved including Ricardo Porro who designed the School of Fine Arts. Here's a helpful quote from him that helps explain his design.
"The workshops for painting were planned as circular theatres with the model in the centre. In order to cover them with a cupola crowned by a point of light at the top, the cupola was made to resemble a woman’s breast. Outside, surrounding the building, I imagined vegetation…with long leaves that would give the idea of hair. At the centre of the plaza, I designed a sculpture that suggests a fruit, a papaya—a popular name in Cuba for the female sexual organs—and in the centre a jet of water, as if urinating…"
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photos: Helen
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There is a lot of history, original and recent, about the school. I won't get into it now, but here's an interesting movie trailer that gives a little insight into part of it. Unfinished Spaces. As far as our trip, we took a drive through the campus and visited the school of fine art. The spaces, studios and work were fantastic. Hopefully these pictures give you a feel for that.