(13 Apr 2019) American and international artists have flocked to Havana's Biennial, an art show designed to showcase new works and foster an appreciation of art among the public, while giving new artists a venue to display their work. The show opened in Cuba on Friday to wide acclaim and interest, with displays draping iconic art deco buildings along Havana's historic Malecon seaside boulevard, and dotting the wide sidewalk on the seawall protecting the city.
Artists from around Latin America, Europe and the U.S. joined local talent to mount displays around Old Havana, sparking interest by locals and tourists, some exposed for the first time to whimsical art displays and exhibits by sculptors and painters.
Carrie Mae Weems, an New York-based American artist, led a delegation of eight young U.S. artists to Cuba, a dream come true for the group and an opportunity for the Americans to participate in an art fair on an island many considered mysterious and prohibited to them.
Weems said her group hopes to foster dialogue and understanding between U.S. and Cuban citizens at a time of rising tension with the Trump Administration and the Cuban Government over human rights, Venezuela and other regional issues.
Other artists echoed the theme of dialogue, decrying what they say is a coarsening of language in the political world, a lack of empathy and disregard for common humanity, and say they hope their art can bring people together and provide a platform for better civic discourse.
Salvadoran artist Alexia Miranda tinkered with her display at the Biennial headquarters in Old Havana while crowds of onlookers and art lovers milled around the gallery.
Miranda says her country is depicted by the Trump Administration in stark terms, as a source of gangs and illegal immigrants.
She hopes her art will provide a platform that will improve her country's image in the U.S. and the region.
The art show will remain on display in Havana until May 12, and will include musical shows and other performance art activities by artists over the coming weeks.
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