Return to Havana: An Illustrated Art Guide to Cuba’s Capital

Today I hand over the reigns to Emmie van Biervliet, an artist who has been featured on Wanderarti before. She has just returned from a trip to Cuba and has been kind enough to put together an art guide to Havana for us, which features some of the best arty hotspots in the city, and is illustrated by her wonderful paintings! Take it away Emmie…

I first traveled to Cuba in 2005. After seeing the sights and drinking one too many mojitos I came home with memories and colours fixed in my mind of a particularly unique land. I subsequently had my first solo show in an abandoned church and decided that life as an artist might be a viable option.

This year I returned on an artist residency. What would the art scene be looking like? How much would Havana have changed since I was there nine years ago? To find out more follow me here.

I will be exhibiting the new work at the Sarah Wiseman Gallery in Oxford 1st-29th November 2014. Below is a short art guide of recommended places to visit in Havana:

El Museo de las Bellas Artes

The museum of ‘Las Bellas Artes’ of Cuban work is expansive and interesting. The collections, which are spread over two huge floors, goes to show that the arts are better funded than some other sections. The work here also shows that while I had expected to see people working in a very different way to what I had seen before they had obviously had a big exposure to artists working in other places. Wildredo Lam is Cuba’s answer to Picasso, infact they worked closely together for a time. Wildfredo creates pieces on canvas with strong angular forms. A dark background brings the light form forward which are often of a sinister, tortured nature while at the same time having comic cartoonlike elements.

Centro de Arte Contemporanio Wilfredo Lam

This is worth a visit and in a nice location near the Cathedral. Some of the important Biennial pieces are housed here and its where the organisation of the Biennial takes place.

Biennial

Many of the artists and makers I spoke to had a link to the Biennial. This happens in a number of locations around Havana and is the most important event in the Cuban artistic calender. It is when there is the chance to see more installation, performance and contemporary art. The next one will be in May 2015.

The Cathedral

It felt like quite a profound moment going to see this beautiful piece of architecture having studied and painted it from photos on the internet for many hours and now to see it in its full dimensions and colourful people coming and going around it. It is quoted as being ‘the most beautiful cathedral in the America’s.

Print workshop

‘El Taller Experimental Grafico’ is located next to the Cathedral I had painted from photos many times. The printing studios are impressive, large, well lit with a nice exhibiting space. Tutoring is 1:1or even 1:2 if another student hasn’t turned up, cigars are smoked, guitars playing in the background and the whirr of fans in the heat make for quite an atmosphere! You can experiment with all sort of different print techniques and the chance to see and discuss with Cubans about their work and other international students was very special. Printing in Cuba has been a high profile activity given that it’s a powerful way to get a message across.

Callejón de Hamel

A wonderful quirky street of mosaic art, bathtubs in walls, cuttout sculptures and colour at its most lively when there is a rumba band in situ and before you know it everyone is dancing in the street! At the helm is the artist Salvador Gonzalez Escalona who’s inspiration came from a poetic mix of African art, Spiritalism and music.

The Art Institute, ISA

This is another example which shows the support the arts have been given here. In 1961 Fidel Castro proclaims that “Cuba will count as having the most beautiful academy of arts in the world.” Cuba’s ambitious National Art Schools project was designed by three young artists in the wake of Castro’s Revolution, as a visionary architectural masterpiece on the grounds of a large former American golf course. Construction of their radical designs began immediately and the school’s first classes soon followed.

Dancers, musicians and artists from all over the country reveled in the beauty of the schools, but construction was abruptly halted as funds were diverted to the Cuban missile crisis. The unrealized dream has never been fully finished though in 1999 Castro invited the architects back to continue work. While this was not fully realized and parts of the buildings being taken over by plants this is still an impressive art establishments. Students are selected and housed and educated for free on site. Studios are set in dome like glass capsules, maximum of 10 students per studio. In true Cuban design the architects chose to design the space from the female form.

Fabrica de Arte Cubano

A must see and experience. A huge old power station turned club/music/theatre and exhibition space with a cinema projecting films onto the wall and you can get food the bar! The coalescence of these creative experiences and people put together in one place was really inspiring. Its open for events usually in the evening but checkout the listings first.

For more of Emmie’s work and for the details of her Havana exhibition, head over to her site and her Facebook page.

Have you been to Havana? What was your experience of the city?