Cuban Art News

"Queloides" in New York: An Interview with the Curators

April 19, 2011

Alejandro de la Fuente, a professor of Latin American and Caribbean history at the University of Pittsburgh, and artist Elio Rodríguez Valdés are the co-curators of Queloides: Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art, which recently opened in New York at The 8th Floor gallery. Cuban Art News caught up with the curators in two separate interviews, combined here in a conversation about the exhibition and contemporary Cuban art in general.

Charrette 2011: Envisioning the Future of Havana

April 15, 2011

On March 20-26, thirty urbanists, architects, artists, and students came together for the fifth annual Havana Urban Design Charrette. Sponsored by the Cuban and Norwegian chapters of the Council of European Urbanism (CEU) and the International Network for Traditional Building and Urbanism (INTBAU), the 2011 Charrette drew equal numbers of Cuban and international participants. Drawing on their expertise in designing, planning, and restoring the urban realm, they came together to envision the future of the Centro Habana district.

Teatro El Público: Twenty Years of Provocation and Challenge

April 12, 2011

In Cuban theater, the name of Carlos Díaz (b. Bejucal, 1955) is invariably associated with some form of provocation. Writer and critic Norge Espinosa Mendoza invited the director of El Público to share his memories and experiences of twenty years in the theater.

New Filmmakers, New Aesthetics in the Cuban Cinema

April 05, 2011

In late February, Havana hosted the 10th Muestra de Jóvenes Realizadores (Young Filmmakers Exhibition). An annual event for Cuban alternative cinema, promoted by the Instituto Cubano de Arte y Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), the exhibition featured film screenings and visual arts and film poster competitions. Film critic Frank Padrón shares his impressions of this year’s exhibition with Cuban Art News.

¡Sí Cuba! Comes to New York

March 28, 2011

Ben Rodríguez-Cubeñas of the Cuban Artists Fund and Rockefeller Brothers Fund is one of the principal organizers of ¡Sí Cuba!, the three-month festival of cultural events that kicks off at the end of this month. In a conversation with Cuban Art News, Rodríguez-Cubeñas talks about the festival, how it came about, and the events he’s most looking forward to.