(Art)xiomas): Cuban Art by the New Generation

(Art)xiomas) showcases an important group of creators from a new generation of Cuban visual artists, most of whom are around 30 years old and graduated from the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in Havana. Curated by Gabriela García-Azcuy, (Art)xiomas) includes works by the following artists: Adrián Fernández, Alex Miguel Dueñas, Gustavo del Valle, Lisandra Ramírez, Mabel Poblet, Osmeivy Ortega, Adriana Arronte, Ariamna Contino, Alex Hernández, Frank Mujica, Jorge Otero, Adislen Reyes, and Roger Toledo. The curatorship articulates several artistic disciplines including painting, engraving, photography, sculpture, design and video art. Art)xiomas) proposes a widely diverse discursive and poetic spectrum representative of a new generation of visual artists from the island. Many of the works address current themes, such as the new opening environment for economic and sociocultural exchanges between Cuba and the United States. This is addressed in works like Adislen Reyes's piece from the series Terapia (Therapy). There, we recognize the emblematic figure of Mickey Mouse with both hands raised, one showing five nails painted with the Cuban flag, while the other five nails are painted with the US flag. Conversely, the works also address the relationship between high culture and popular culture (Adislen Reyes, Adriana Arronte). Some works oscillate between historical themes and their representation (Adrián Fernández). There are also commentaries on violence (Ariamna Contino), with parodies on guns (Arsenal Series) that approach violence as an everyday occurrence. Pieces of a more poetic nature are found in figurative works by Adislen Reyes, Ariamna Contino, Osmeivy Ortega and Lisandra Ramírez, among others. Realist neo-figurative elements are also present in the proposals of artists like Gustavo del Valle, Adrián Fernández, and Mabel Poblet, among others. Both figurative and realist neo-figurative works share certain decorative qualities that reference the worlds of entertainment and advertising. On the other hand, expressive abstract elements can be found in the proposals of Franc Mujica and Adriana Arronte. The latter interprets forms and objects from domestic life, such as eating utensils, to create works through the use of an abstract conceptual language. Already with an important core of representative figures, (Art)xiomas) showcases a new generation of Cuban artists that represents the emergence of a new visual art current. Its presence in the international art circuit has become increasingly more visible; although it is still too early to know whether it will be able to attract the same attention and have the same impact of earlier generations.