Cuban Digital Art & Exhibitions: Hunger, Resistance, and Resilience

Similar to "non-state sponsored" artists listed within this guide, distinct from many nations in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the global north, art exhibitions in Cuba are regulated by the state. The state does not recognize private art exhibitions.  As such, the Cuban government formally distinguishes between licensed exhibitions and non-state artist exhibitions, which have to be hosted on servers outside of the island.  The exhibition "Arte en Resistencia" featuring the works of  "independent artists" showcases works not permitted to be shown/accessed electronically in Cuba.  

Independent artists within this exhibition are members of the artist collective the San Isidro Movement, who, since 2018, have produced works in defiance of Decree 349.  The artists within the movement and within this digital exhibition were actively producing works during the July 11, 20 2021, protests on the island. 

Commentary by K. L. Cespedes

The Human Rights Foundation’s Art in Protest program presents Arte en Resistencia, a virtual 3D gallery experience we are launching in tandem with the Oslo Freedom Forum. Held in partnership with Human Rights Foundation’s Art in Protest program, Arte en Resistencia reflects on the phenomenon of how art as a form of resistance has become a cultural practice in Cuba. Movimiento San Isidro (MSI) artists and protagonists of the Cuban artivism movement Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Amaury Pacheco, Yasser Castellanos, Afrik3Reina, and Katherine Bisquet are featured in this unique virtual space.

For more information about these programs, please see the following sites: