Mónica Batard, artist and curator, presents this collective exhibition featuring seven female artists and seven male artists. Most, with the exception of Ivonne Ferrer and Milena Gutiérrez, have recently arrived in the United States or various European capitals. "Halando Parejo" primarily focuses on the challenges they've faced in integrating into a community that operates under paradigms vastly different from those they've known throughout their lives. It's an exhibition of, one might say, cathartic nature. A significant portion of Cuban art over recent decades addresses political themes. Once an artist leaves the island and their circumstances shift, so too may their interests, and, indeed, the very audience of their art. Their themes and concerns might undergo transformation, often becoming more introspective, revealing a starkly different reality in their work. It's commonplace to notice the thematic focus pivoting towards the artist themselves. We are presented with the rare opportunity to compare—and attempt to reconcile—works produced in disparate, even antagonistic, contexts, observing how the frequently hostile environment influences the poetic essence of one artist versus another and how this is mirrored in their work. Subjective qualities such as intensity, intricate execution, and the projection of their pieces provide a supplementary information package that allows a more comprehensive view of each artist.
For Gabriela Martínez, painting is a therapeutic endeavor. Often, we encounter emotions that elude verbal articulation, especially feelings determined by nebulous sensations. Yet, these emotions flow seamlessly through the boundless spectrum of hues and gestures. Gabriela dreams, allowing her visions to manifest directly onto the canvas; her strokes dream with her, melding into a singular creative entity. From the canvas emanates a palpable aura of opulence and empowerment. The flourish of her brushwork is not one of timidity, but of audacity. Her palette consistently challenges conventions, rejoicing—or mourning—in genuine primary colors.
She regards her abilities as a transcendent power, granting her passage to and from her subjectivity. Through meditation, she immerses herself in color, positioning her mind beyond the distractions of the immediate, beyond the reach of exigencies. Contrary to what may be inferred, this approach seemingly stimulates a critical thought process that recurrently reevaluates her cosmic role, establishing her distinct coordinates within it.
During the sixth edition of the 2022 FOTOFOCUS BIENNIAL: World Record—the most expansive of its kind in the Americas—the Annex Gallery in Cincinnati unveiled "Cuba Real," a solo exhibition by the esteemed Cuban photographer and documentarian Raúl Cañibano. This Biennial venerates lens-based art and photography, convening artists, curators, and educators from across the globe. The past iteration showcased significant artist commissions and an extensive range of exhibitions, events, and novel projects, all orbiting the theme of World Record. This motif contemplated the vast photographic archive of life on Earth, humanity's imprint on the natural world, and the pivotal choices we currently grapple with as a global community.
The collection comprises roughly twenty bronze pieces of small to medium scale, crafted over the past two decades. Nurit has always been captivated by the human figure – its malleability, movement, and curvature. She regards the human body as a flawless machine constructed of flesh and bone. However, beyond mere shape, it is the meticulous attention to gesture that has ultimately defined the character of her sculptures. Through this gesture, one can discern their emotions and moods. As attendees will note from the inaugural event, these pieces allow for the appreciation of diverse feelings of many people, who have navigated the ups and downs of life with varying degrees of success.
READ MOREThe collection comprises roughly twenty bronze pieces of small to medium scale, crafted over the past two decades. Nurit has always been captivated by the human figure – its malleability, movement, and curvature. She regards the human body as a flawless machine constructed of flesh and bone. However, beyond mere shape, it is the meticulous attention to gesture that has ultimately defined the character of her sculptures. Through this gesture, one can discern their emotions and moods. As attendees will note from the inaugural event, these pieces allow for the appreciation of diverse feelings of many people, who have navigated the ups and downs of life with varying degrees of success.
READ MOREAs we evolve into an increasingly visually-oriented society, the skills to identify and distinguish valuable objects, interpret symbolic meanings, and swiftly organize a deluge of captivating visual stimuli become indispensable. Contemporary education now more than ever requires educators specialized in visuality and, by extension, in the realm of visual arts. The artist-educator has always held a prominent position within the educational profession. Successful art teachers possess the unique ability to grasp the creative process and convey this elusive knowledge to others. One of their most valued competencies is the skill to instill a sense of achievement in their students.
READ MOREAt first glance, it would seem that the work of Antonio Espinosa and Alain Pino – two visual producers trained in art academies in Cuba, who participated in the generational will of the nineties– have no connection to each other, as they are two artists with different trajectories and, if you will, polarized. But beyond the topics that obsess both creators, the turning point that unites them is the procedural conception of their pieces, the transformation of a primordial idea that will later evolve into an artistic expression. This is the reason that brings them together and becomes a pretext to join them in the upcoming exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas.
READ MOREIn recent years, Cirenaica Moreira has frequently delved into the realm of performance art. Since the 90s, Moreira has focused—through the representation of her own body—on challenging the political discourse expressed as yet another projection of toxic masculinity. She analyzes the female body from the perspectives of sexuality, gender, and race. Much of her work as a photographer transports us to dreamlike or unreal contexts where the subject has evolved at its own pace, untouched by the haste and agitation of 'becoming'. Cirenaica's models simply 'are'. On this occasion, the involvement of the audience was crucial.
READ MOREFor the past six years, the erstwhile Kendall Art Center —now reimagined as the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas— has devoted itself to nurturing a profound dialogue surrounding painting, encouraging a spirit of experimentation and a multiplicity of perspectives. 'Old Friends' exemplifies this fruitful discourse between two maestros of abstract art. This dialogue was sparked by Rigoberto Mena's journey to Boston in 2000, some 23 years ago. Mena, traversing to the USA, participated in the exhibition 'Cuba, Cuba, three contemporary artists', showcased alongside fellow artists Alejandro Lazo and Pango at the Espacio 12 gallery.
READ MOREThe Kendall Art Cultural Center (KACC), dedicated the past six years to the preservation and promotion of contemporary art and artists, and to the exchange of art and ideas throughout Miami and South Florida, as well as abroad. Through an energetic calendar of exhibitions, programs, and its collections, KACC provides an international platform for the work of established and emerging artists, advancing public appreciation and understanding of contemporary art.
The Rodríguez collection is a blueprint of Cuban art and its diaspora. Within the context of the new MoCA-Americas the collection becomes an invaluable visual source for Diaspora identity. It represents a different approach to art history to try to better understand where we come from to better know where we are heading.
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