Art-Scene.TV Cuba-Special

Art in Cuba - Artist caught between adaptation and exile 

There is one thing you can definitely say about Fidel Castro. Contrary to the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, Cuba did not force its artists to believe in “Socialist realism”. In 1963, the 'Máximo Líder' (Greatest Leader) already explained that “capitalism and imperialism are our enemies, not abstract art!”

Friend of Fidel Castro - Painter, Sculptor and Installation Artist Kcho

Alexis Leyva Machado, known as Kcho, is one of the most important contemporary artists in Cuba. The 44-year old lives in Havana and is financially independent, in contrast to the vast majority of Cuban artists.  Art collectors from all over the world buy his sculptures and his works hang in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.  At the age of 25, he was the youngest Latin American artist with a permanent collection in 1996...

Kcho - Exclusive Artist Portrait of Cuba's Biggest Talent

Alexis Leyva Machado, known as Kcho, is one of the most important contemporary artists in Cuba. The 44-year old lives in Havana and is financially independent, in contrast to the vast majority of Cuban artists.  Art collectors from all over the world buy his sculptures and his works hang in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.  At the age of 25, he was the youngest Latin American artist with a permanent collection in 1996. For two decades, Kcho deals with the escape of Cubans over the sea to Florida...

Cuba's international star - Wifredo Lam and his African roots

Cuban artist Wifredo Lam is Cuba’s most famous painter. His works combine Afro-Cuban traditions with influences of Picasso. Lam, born in Cuba in 1902, is revered in his home country because he was one of the first artists who went back to his African roots. His paintings deal with the cultural and religious heritage, which was brought on the Caribbean island by West African slaves...

Cuba's Gaudi José Fuster – sculptor, painter and ceramic artist

José Fuster is internationally known for his naïve paintings. The fact that he has embellished a whole district in Havana is probably less known. Since 1980, José Fuster lives by the sea in Jaimanitas. The 68-year-old cannot even imagine a life away from the sea. He’s got saltwater in his veins, he likes to joke. Today, his former wooden house is unrecognizable - a large stone villa on four floors with a swimming pool in the middle...

Los Carpinteros in Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germay - A radiant hive for the presentation of the collection

Since November 15, an installation of the Cuban artist duo 'Los Carpinteros' called 'Helm/Helmet/Yelmo' can be seen at the Museum Folkwang in Essen, Germany. This installation was created especially for the collection “Archaeology, world art, arts and crafts” and deals with issues of museum presentation...