Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba
“To be able to see an exhibition of current work of this magnitude is remarkable. Some of these artists have phenomenal reputations in other parts of the world but are little known in the U.S. One of the illusions we have here is that just because we have imposed an embargo on Cuba, everyone else has, too.”
– David Furchgott, President, International Arts & artists
“Together, working in diverse media and exploring multiple themes, they and their compatriots forge a narrative of contemporary Cuba.”
– Bill Thompson, The Post and Courier
Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba is a major exhibition developed by the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana, offering American audiences a rare opportunity to experience firsthand some of the island’s most innovative new artworks. The exhibition includes 54 works of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video, and installation art by 27 Cuban artists: Juan Carlos Alom, Lidzie Alvisa, Nelson Arellano, Augustin Bejarano, Abel Barroso, Luis Enrique Camejo, Duvier del Dago, Ricardo Elías, Adonis Flores, Aimée García, Glenda León, Frank Martínez, René Peña, Douglas Pérez, Fernando Rodríguez, Ángel Ramírez, Sandra Ramos, Santiago Rodríguez Olazábal, Lázaro Saavedra, Ludmila Velasco, and Reinerio Tamayo. Their work, which incorporates elements and motifs of Spanish, African, Caribbean, and North American culture, opens a revelatory dialogue between long-isolated Cuba and the larger world.
Polaridad Complementaria attests to the aesthetic and conceptual caliber of Cuban art today, as well as to the unparalleled freedoms enjoyed by its new generation of artists, some of whose work is known for its fierce social and political commentary. This exhibition was developed by curators Margarita Sánchez and Jorge Rodriguez at the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana. The Center is a cultural institution dedicated to the study, research, and promotion of contemporary visual arts from developing countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean.
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Sonoma County Museum, Santa Rosa, CA
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Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
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Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, CT
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artdaily.net, December 2009
Art collection spotlights Cuban culture
Times Picayne, by Ana Gershanik, December 2009
Cuban Cultural celebration continues
Times Picayne, by Ana Gershanik, January 2010
Quiet Subversion: Contemporary Cuban art comes to the Sonoma County Museum
bohemian.com, by Gretchen Giles, June 2010
Exhibit to showcase 24 Cuban artists
The Post and Courier, by Bill Thompson, January 30, 2011
Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba to be displayed at Chernow Art gallery
Bridgeport Banner, by Anson C. Smith, July 2, 2011
National tour of contemporary Cuban art stops in Bridgeport
Connecticut Post, by Phyllis A.S. Boros, August 11, 2011