ART BRUT PROJECT CUBA: A NEW VISION WITHIN THE CUBAN ART SCENE

At present, there are not many transcendental artistic projects for visualizing sociocultural processes and esthetic constructions that differ from the standards that the Cuban cultural system legitimates and exalts. The condescension, possibly due to ignorance, many times voluntary, and the undervaluation of said processes forces deep research, given the lack of studies that contribute with previous references, as well as the organization of an exhaustive promotion faced with the total lack of institutional support. Art Brut Project Cuba is a singular project that pledged its commitment to these marginalized artistic processes, and is the only one in the country focused in the study and promotion of Art Brut and Outsider Art done by Cuban artists.

Both expressions coexist in line with the development of art and its different movements and tendencies; nevertheless its creators represent islets within the main stream, resisting, of their own volition or due to conditions of alienation or isolation, and without being swept away by diverse influences. Their works are of an undeniable artistic value and offer a breath of fresh air to the current visual heterogeneity, reflecting singular experiences through ways of making without any prejudice at all. To accept them is to believe in the democratization of different kinds of cultural expressions and at the same time as an alert to art critics, specialists and artists on the utmost urgency for them to think on and accept the complex of the visualization immersed in different layers of the Cuban civil society. Besides, it’s really necessary to recognize and render the proper attention to the so-called “sub-cultural phenomena” thatare so underrated, but that represent a rich artistic wealth that’s expressed openly within the present-day society and is a part of our identity.

Art Brut Project Cuba recognizes and appraises the creative work of over 35 Cuban artists within the Art Brut and the Outsider Art programs. Their creations are based on complex experiences, extreme and vulnerable life conditions; as well as different social and cultural origins. After five years of work, Art Brut Project Cuba has consolidated a project that is capable of offering real comprehensive support to the work of each of the artists, and a revaluation of these individuals within the family context and their recognition within society.

Our objective is to continue to identify new creative potentials, in despite of locations and life situations, stimulating their capacities without modifying or guiding the creative processes and making them visible in the national and international arenas. Aspiring to achieve that the work accomplished by Art Brut Project Cuba’s artists receives the appropriate recognition and is included as an example of genuine art, is and always will be among our principal goals.

Yenisel Osuna Morales, curator and art historian