CURRENT EXHIBITION

Painting, Sculpture, Woodblock, Photography

ARTISTS: Desbel Alvarez, Abel Barroso, Raul Cañibano, José Manuel Fors, Leandro Gómez Quintero, Ailen Maleta, Manuel Mendive, Marcel Molina, Osmeivy Ortega, René Peña, Marta María Pérez Bravo, Leysis Quesada Vera, Santiago Rodriguez Olazábal, Esterio Segura, José Angel Toirac

JOSÉ TOIRAC

In speaking on the origins of this series, after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990’s, Toirac writes, “the national economic situation was so asphyxiating that the Cuban government was itself forced to open diverse escape valves to channel the social pressure that had been accumulating.  One of these escape valves was to allow investments from capitalist countries. Commercial publicity began to co-exist with the images that were produced as political propaganda. Even though this counterpoint existed before the triumph of the revolution, for those of us that were born after 1959, this situation was totally new to us and that is why I titled the series “Tiempos Nuevos” (New Times). I took images from the propaganda and paired them with commercial brands to illustrate how both extremes end up coinciding in their intent to “sell us”something, be it a product or an ideology. I should underline that the pictures that form part of this series were confined to my studio, without the possibility of exhibiting them publicly for more than 20 years. In 2019, I was awarded the Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas (National Prize of Visual Arts). It was then that I was able to exhibit the works at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana (National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana). José Toirac May 2023

ABEL BARROSO 

"Using the medium of printmaking, I build sculptures, installations, collages to create performances. I use artisanal work as a point of departure for the themes I select. Recently, migrations, the varied perspectives of identity, multiculturalism and globalization has been my recurring subject matter.

I am also interested in "global games" where the players must confront the so called "First World" and the "Third World". I use humor to disguise the seriousness of the selected themes, to deepen the very real issues that we all experience in this global village that we inhabit. Politics are camouflaged within this combination of elements to elicit reflection and dialogue. Today's reality is an endless source of inspiration."

DESBEL ALVAREZ 

"I was born in Havana. I live in a humble neighborhood, where I feel and see all the time the deterioration of the city and the needs of its people.  This catches my attention and it is what I bring to my work.

I am making a kind of accusation and criticism, because it affects me to see how my city ages every day and the ongoing inability to get things fixed.

Perhaps for many people it is something romantic to come to my country and photograph a building on the verge of collapse; but not for me, because I know that people live inside, that perhaps their souls are as in need as their houses."