Havana November 2015 Part 1

[Ryan]

In Bold I have highlighted changes I have noticed in Havana since the last time I visited.

La Fabrica de Arte Cubano, FAC. (The Cuban Art Factory)

I first heard of this place last February, Hunters & Frankau had an event there on the Sunday night after the festival. Then it got a big mention in the recent Anthony Bourdain show on Cuba.

Everywhere in world, venues are moving away from the traditional notion of separate bars, restaurants, nightclubs and entertainment spaces. Bars are now coffee houses as well as restaurants etc.

This place has moved that idea on 10 years.

There is a large live music venue which becomes disco later. A more intimate “unplugged” live music space. Upstairs there is a movie theatre, showing Blade Runner one of the nights I was there. Up again there is a photography gallery. In another space there’s an art gallery. Some of the work in the art gallery is light years on from the normal touristy art usually seen in old Havana. Some of it I was very surprised that it was allowed to be shown in Cuba, more on that later. If this place was in Milan, Madrid or Seattle, I’d be impressed. That fact that it’s in Havana is almost unbelievable.

Change No. 1

The names of the two guys who set it up illude me but one of the more interesting things about this place is the story that they got a 7 figure loan to set this up. This is not a state-run venue, it’s privately owned. I’ve never heard of government loans like that before for private business in Cuba.

Apparently there are plans to expand with more.

For anybody planning on bringing, say, 50-100 people to Havana, this place would be perfect. Plenty for everyone in there and 100 extra people in that venue would hardly be noticed. The one “fly in the ointment” is that there is not smoking allowed everywhere. There are plenty of very comfortable smoking areas though, indoor and out.

Entry is 2 CUC, beer 1.50, cocktails 2.50. Staff all seem to be multi-lingual, trained exceptionally well, and of course beautiful, male and female.

I was there 2 nights this time, Sunday and a Thursday. Both very good. On the Thursday night I was there with a Cuban photographer friend of mine, Jose A. Rey, and his wife. We went after the party in the Habana Libre, about 10 of us altogether. I had a great time with them. Of course ended up in Don Cangrejo later but that’s another story.

Change No. 2

At the art gallery, some of the big photos I loved, but what especially stood out was a little display called “Milagros” (Miracles) a series of old newspaper clippings of Fidel visiting factories, sick people, food production plants etc. The caption under each describing “the miracle of…”.

Of course, the idea of the work is ironically comparing Fidel to Jesus and his miracles like the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. Artists in Cuba have gotten away with more than expected for years but satire of the revolution this obvious was a new one on me.

Great place and I’ll be back.

Pictures to follow, including some of "Milagros"

Loved this.

This was hard to decipher from a distance, a bit of the Jackson Pollock about it. Close up, it's plants and moss, all natural.

In Cuba there is a term "jineteras". It means literally "female jockeys". The casual meaning is obvious.

Some friends at the gallery area

Myself with Jose Rey and his wife Laura. Lovely, lovely people.

Jazz band in the live music space on the Sunday night. Thursday had Reggaeton and it was hopping

More to come.

[Ryan]

Miracles

"The Miracle of the 103 litres of milk daily"

Fidel visiting someone suffering from hypertension.

"The miracle of the Polyclinic"

A new system of watering bananas with micro-jets

"The miracle of the micro-jet bananas"

A plant producing 120 million eggs.

"The miracle of the 120 million eggs"

There were a few more but that's what I got.

Great stuff.

[wabashcr]

Great stuff, thanks for sharing. Is it possible the regime doesn't recognize the satire? I would imagine it's not as common in Cuba. Pretty bold of the artists in any event.

[Colt45]

Very nice. In the past, some things like hotels, restaurants, etc, were restricted to visitors from outside Cuba - are those things opening up as well?

[Ryan]

Great stuff, thanks for sharing. Is it possible the regime doesn't recognize the satire? I would imagine it's not as common in Cuba. Pretty bold of the artists in any event.

Satire, as far as I've seen, has always been part of Cuban art. Just much more subtle than this stuff. It's a fair question you ask but there's not a chance that that series would go unrecognised for what it is.

Very nice. In the past, some things like hotels, restaurants, etc, were restricted to visitors from outside Cuba - are those things opening up as well?

The restriction on Cubans entering hotels was officially lifted about 10 years ago but security still stopped Cubans when they felt like it. This trip I didn't hear of any Cubans being refused entry to hotels or restaurants. Hotels might stop prostitutes but that would be hotels anywhere in the world.

[Jeremy Festa]

Wicked update mate! Cheers

[saintsmokealot]

Read all 3 post. Very nice and thanks for sharing.

[FLB03TT]

Oh the "miracle" of chickens laying eggs- clearly must be divine intervention!