13th Havana Bienal – Enriching Lives – LOCAL

Having the incredible opportunity to visit Havana this last week and explore the wonderful curated collection on display for the 13th Havana Bienal was truly a unique and enriching experience. Sculpture, paintings, installations among other art forms dotted every corner of the city, from the Havana Vieja area along the Malecon to Vedado.

There were literally artists from every corner of the planet participating in this event. Included among the participants were many Cubanos that have been working diligently on their craft and in unique ways to give voice to their life through their work.

The absolute contrasting beauty of the old and decaying buildings as the backdrop for these new and contemporary works with modern materials and giant pops of color was breathtaking and exciting to behold. There could not have been a more perfect setting, in my opinion, than the aging streets and dilapidated interiors of the once magnificent, still remarkable Havana.

And with that, although this is only a small glimpse into the hundreds of pieces and dozens of artists that participated, I will let our photos speak for themselves and save my final remarks for the end…enjoy.

Probably the best part of this Bienal, and what really gave me true pleasure, was the amount of local Cubanos that were able to enrich their lives for even just a moment. There was color, texture, shape, sound, and tangible objects that allowed them to participate, to learn, to forget about their difficult lives, even if the experience was short lived, it gave them a sense of hope, happiness and honor when those three things are hard to come by in Havana.

And finally, my favorite moment, and photo of the weekend. This amazing little Cubanita, in all her might and pride, posed in front of her favorite piece along the Malecon as if to tell the world, yes, I’m here, I matter, I own this….