New York's The 8th Floor gallery currently hosts exhibition of Cuban art entitled Waiting for the idols to fall. Featuring a group of well established Cuban artists, the exhibition in centered on the subject of iconography in Cuban art and, more specifically, on the question of whether it is possible to represent what is Cuban ["lo cubano"] without resorting to traditional cultural, religious, and historical symbols. The show's theoretical foundation is outlined on an essay by art critic Orlando Hernández. 

Starting on March 1st, New York's Park Avenue will headquarter No Limit, an open-air exhibition featuring 10 pieces by Cuban visual artist Alexandre Arrechea. The sculptures are based on famous New York City landmarks—from the Empire State to the Chrysler Building— and were commissioned to the artist by the Fund for the Park Avenue Sculpture Committee. 

SLANTED MAGAZINE— an independent publication on graphic design, typography, photography, and illustration— has launched a crowdfunding initiative for its new project centered on Cuban poster art. 

For more information on the project and donations, visit http://cuba.slanted.de/

Reggaeton band Gente de Zona is back in Europe this winter !

Confirmed dates include: 

February 2, 2013 - Montpellier, France - Salle Victoire 2

 February 3, 2013 - Turin , Italy - Bamboo Club

February 8, 2013 - Bilbao, Spain - Santana 27

February 10, 2013 - Malaga, Spain - Moliere

February 12, 2013 - Rome, Italy

Have you ever dreamed of taking a break to travel the world for a year? The Havana Club Gap Year is giving someone the chance to visit 12 countries to live 12 unforgettable experiences. For more information, watch the video below or visit www.havana-club-365.com. 

The 34th edition of Havana’s Festival Internacional de Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano has come to an end and the jury has announced the list of prize-winning entries. The Festival’s most important accolades have been awarded to:

No— Pablo Larraín (Chile, USA, Mexico)

First Coral Prize

Después de Lucía — Michel Franco (Mexico)

Coral Prize for Direction

Días de pesca— Carlos Sorín (Argentina)

Special Recognition of the Jury

The Cuban artistic duo Los Carpinteros—made up of Marco Castillo and Dagoberto Rodríguez— is currently featured in a solo exhibition entitled Silence your Eyes at the Hannover Kunstverein. The show includes an extensive selection of works conceived as “visual allegories of the present” combining architectural, design, and sculptural techniques. 

The Scottish romantic comedy Day of the Flowers was premiered at Havana’s Festival Internacional de Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano this past Sunday. Directed by BAFTA award-winner John Roberts and featuring Eva Birthistle, Charity Wakefield and Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta, the film recounts the calamities of two diametrically opposed sisters during a trip to Havana, where they’ve gone together to spread the ashes of their deceased father.

More information: http://dayoftheflowers.com/

From December 20-23^rd, the Havana International Jazz Festival will take over not only the city major theaters, but also smaller clubs and cafés. The festival will be preceded by Jo Jazz—aimed at young musicians aged between 16 and 30— whose winner will record an album with the legendary pianist Chucho Valdés. 

From December 8^th until January 25^th, Berlin’s Freies Museum will host «Meeting Havana Cultura: Contemporary Visual Arts and the New Film Festival from Cuba ».

The event will include a contemporary art exhibition entitled “Gulliver” featuring small and medium-sized formats by various contemporary Cuban artists—both established and emerging— that revolves around the subject of insular gigantism and dwarfism. The idea is to transpose a concept usually associated with Biology to the visual arts and social analysis in general.

Parallel to the exhibition, a series of screenings of selected short films by young Cuban directors will introduce the German public to contemporary cinematographic creation in Cuba.

The opening will take place on December 7^th.

More information: Freies Museum