Adiós Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art Since 1950

Adiós Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art Since 1950 looks at how Cuba’s revolutionary epoch shaped 65 years of Cuban art. The exhibition brings together more than 100 important works of painting, graphic design, photography, video, installation, and performance created by more than 50 Cuban artists and designers.

Anchored by key moments of the 20th and 21st century Cuban history, Adiós Utopia is the most comprehensive and significant presentation of modern and contemporary Cuban art shown in the United States since 1944, when the Museum of Modern Art in New York presented Modern Cuban Painters.

Although many artists have since emigrated from Cuba to live and work abroad, Adiós Utopia focuses on the untold narrative of those who remained in Cuba and whose careers emerged or who were educated on the island after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. Through a selection of pivotal artworks—created in each of six decades since 1950—the exhibition explores Cuba’s artistic production, illuminating both the dreams and deceptions contained within the revolutionary process and idea of utopia.

The exhibition introduces US audiences to key events in Cuban history and explores ways that this history has affected individual artists, shaped the character of art produced on the island, and conditioned the reception of Cuban art both there and abroad. A newly published, related publication accompanies the exhibition.

Artists: Alejandro Aguilera, Santiago (Chago) Armada, Alexandre Arrechea, José Bedia, Tania Bruguera, Alejandro Campins, Iván Capote, Yoan Capote, Carlos Rodríguez Cárdenas, Los Carpinteros, Yaima Carrazana, Mario Carreño, Javier Castro, Jeanette Chávez, Raúl Cordero, Salvador Corratgé, Arturo Cuenca, Sandú Darié, Felipe Dulzaides, Antonia Eiriz, Ricardo G. Elías, Juan Francisco Elso, Tomás Esson, Antonio Eligio Fernández (Tonel), José A. Figueroa, Raúl Corral Forno (Raúl Corrales), René Francisco, Carlos Garaicoa, Flavio Garciandía, Alejandro González, Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez (Alberto Korda), Carmen Herrera, Mario García Joya (Mayito), Glenda León, Pedro Álvarez López, Alexis Leyva Machado (Kcho), Carlos Martiel, Raúl Martínez, José Mijares, Esterio Segura Mora, Servando Cabrera Moreno, Reynier Leyva Novo, Glexis Novoa, Pedro de Oraá, Ernesto Oroza, Luis Martínez Pedro, Umberto Peña, Manuel Piña, Eduardo Ponjuán, Wilfredo Prieto, Sandra Ramos, Fernando Rodríguez, Lázaro Saavedra, Loló Soldevilla, Rafael Soriano, Leandro Soto, José Ángel Toirac

Curators: Cuban independent curators Gerardo Mosquera, René Francisco Rodríguez, and Elsa Vega with museum advisors Olga Viso and Mari Carmen Ramírez

Walker Coordinating Curator: Olga Viso with Fabián Leyva-Barragán

Adiós Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art Since 1950 is a project conceived by the Cisneros Fontanals Fundación Para Las Artes (CIFO Europa) and the Cisneros Fontanals Arts Foundation, CIFO USA. The exhibition is organized in partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. The exhibition is made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.

Major support for the exhibition is provided by the Ford Foundation, the Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation, and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional generous support is provided by Ella Fontanals-Cisneros.

The Walker Art Center’s presentation is sponsored by Dorsey & Whitney LLP and PNC Bank.

Additional support for the Walker’s presentation is generously provided by Ellen and Jan Breyer, Monica and David Nassif, Robert and Rebecca Pohlad, Annette and John Whaley, and Audrey and Zygi Wilf.