In this new iteration, works by artists who have been part of the project since its inception—but who, due to spatial and logistical limitations, could not be included in the initial presentation—are now brought to the fore. Their presence in this space reaffirms the museum’s commitment to constructing a richer, more open, and profoundly plural narrative of contemporary Cuban art. As outlined in the proposal submitted to the Instituto Cervantes in São Paulo—and in an effort to frame these curatorial actions beyond strictly local or national perspectives—it is worth underscoring that Cuba, a small archipelago in the Caribbean, has exerted a political and symbolic influence far exceeding its geographical size, leaving an indelible mark on the history of the continent and on what is often referred to as the Global South. Since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the country embraced a political model aligned with the ideologies of the Eastern Bloc. This historical shift cleaved the Cuban cultural landscape in two: between those who remained on the island—operating within a system tightly regulated by the state—and those who left, carrying with them a complex, displaced, yet resilient creative identity.
For more than six decades, Cuban cultural policy has fluctuated between fostering artistic education and imposing rigid ideological frameworks. The now-infamous phrase pronounced by Fidel Castro in 1961—“Within the Revolution, everything; against the Revolution, nothing”—established a climate of control over artistic production. For many artists, migration became the only viable path to preserve creative autonomy, and their work has since evolved under the conditions of exile, adaptation, and continuous negotiation with new cultures, languages, and audiences.
As outlined in the proposal submitted to the Instituto Cervantes in São Paulo—and in an effort to frame these curatorial actions beyond strictly local or national perspectives—it is worth underscoring that Cuba, a small archipelago in the Caribbean, has exerted a political and symbolic influence far exceeding its geographical size, leaving an indelible mark on the history of the continent and on what is often referred to as the Global South.
Since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the country embraced a political model aligned with the ideologies of the Eastern Bloc. This historical shift cleaved the Cuban cultural landscape in two: between those who remained on the island—operating within a system tightly regulated by the state—and those who left, carrying with them a complex, displaced, yet resilient creative identity.
For more than six decades, Cuban cultural policy has fluctuated between fostering artistic education and imposing rigid ideological frameworks. The now-infamous phrase pronounced by Fidel Castro in 1961—“Within the Revolution, everything; against the Revolution, nothing”—established a climate of control over artistic production. For many artists, migration became the only viable path to preserve creative autonomy, and their work has since evolved under the conditions of exile, adaptation, and continuous negotiation with new cultures, languages, and audiences.
The artists featured in the first North American edition of the project are, listed alphabetically, Néstor Arenas, Franklin Álvares, Mónica Batard, Lia Galleti, Flavio Garciandía, Aimée Joaristi, Kadir López, Kelvin López, Rigoberto Mena, Arturo Montoto, Julio César Peña, Sandra Ramos, Eduardo Rubén, and Evelyn Sosa.
Since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the country embraced a political model aligned with the ideologies of the Eastern Bloc. This historical shift cleaved the Cuban cultural landscape in two: between those who remained on the island—operating within a system tightly regulated by the state—and those who left, carrying with them a complex, displaced, yet resilient creative identity.
For more than six decades, Cuban cultural policy has fluctuated between fostering artistic education and imposing rigid ideological frameworks. The now-infamous phrase pronounced by Fidel Castro in 1961—“Within the Revolution, everything; against the Revolution, nothing”—established a climate of control over artistic production. For many artists, migration became the only viable path to preserve creative autonomy, and their work has since evolved under the conditions of exile, adaptation, and continuous negotiation with new cultures, languages, and audiences.
The artists featured in the first North American edition of the project are, listed alphabetically, Néstor Arenas, Franklin Álvares, Mónica Batard, Lia Galleti, Flavio Garciandía, Aimée Joaristi, Kadir López, Kelvin López, Rigoberto Mena, Arturo Montoto, Julio César Peña, Sandra Ramos, Eduardo Rubén, and Evelyn Sosa.
This exhibition is made possible thanks to the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.
The 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.
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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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