In Cuba, new generations of artists occupy spaces in galleries, independent studios, and digital platforms. Setting the pace for emerging art in this archipelago.
Their work ranges from painting and photography to performance and digital art. Mostly characterized by an experimental language that engages with the country’s social and cultural challenges.
The work of Holguin artist Cristhian Escalona arrived at the Galiano Gallery of the Cuban Fund for Cultural Assets (FCBC in the Spanish acronym) in Havana this summer.
Comprised of approximately 24 pieces, the exhibition “Punto Ciego” (Blind Spot) explores the artist’s graphic language. With woodcut as the centerpiece, bringing a contemporary vision to the work. All of them share a common theme: surveillance and power.
The exhibition is the result of the 1st Prize of the Holguin Provincial Visual Arts Salon. Awarded to Cristhian Escalona in 2023, a partnership that reaffirms the commitment to promoting and highlighting emerging art in the country.
Regarding the genesis, Yuricel Moreno Zaldívar, director of the Holguin Provincial Visual Arts Center, commented:
“The provincial salons, since their founding in the 1980s, were born with the aim of providing an open space for artists from each province. Over the years, the curatorial team reconsidered the purpose of the evento. What did it offer the artists? Were they encouraged to participate in the space? This motivation drove us to seek alliances and alternatives that would further attract Holguin artists.”
As a result, in addition to the cash prize, the Holguin CPAP created a partnership with the Caguayo Foundation. Moreover which awards a collateral prize. In addition to bringing curators from the Galiano Gallery closer to the Project. It provided an opportunity for artists to present and exhibit their curatorial projects.
According to Escalona, this was the most compelling reason that motivated him to participate in the event. As it was a space that would allow him to showcase his art outside of his homeland for the first time.
“The opportunities offered by the Cuban capital are undeniable. There are many galleries, curators, and gallery owners that every emerging artist should know. Likewise, it is very important for me to be able to showcase my work. As a provincial artist, and to demonstrate that good art is being created in Holguin, and even more so in the presence of artists I have admired since I began my journey in the world of visual arts.”
Several of the people the artist mentions attended the exhibition opening. Such as the prominent Cuban sculptor and National Prize winner for Plastic Arts, Alberto Lescay, an artist who champions the idea of working from his homeland, while still residing in Santiago de Cuba.
Punto Ciego enjoyed a strategic curatorial alliance, led by Abram Bravo, curator and director of the Galiano Gallery. And Clara Hilda Moreno Zaldívar, specialist and curator at the CPAP in Holguin. Moreno described the project as enriching, allowing her to work with the artist during the creative process. She also highlighted the opportunity to interact and collaborate with another curator.
Cristian Escalona’s experience with Punto Ciego illustrates the scope of these new dynamics that seek to strengthen the visibility of emerging Cuban artists. Between institutional alliances, shared curatorships, and spaces decentralized from Havana to the provinces. A scenario is emerging in which younger generations find the opportunity to showcase their work beyond their immediate context.
In this dialogue between tradition and renewal, the Cuban art scene continues to demonstrate that talent and experimentation have a place. The future of art in the largest of the Antilles is already taking shape in the present.
This September, the CPAP hosts a new edition of the Visual Arts Salon. This time bringing together not only Holguin artists but also artists from other provinces. Reaffirming its position as a space for cultural exchange and visibility beyond its compatriots.
By: Melissa Laura del Cerro Figueredo
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