AFROCUBA.ORG PRESENTS:

NEWS, ARTISTS AND EVENTS

EL BATEY ON LINE will be presented by Afrocuba.org at Festival Presencia Cubana.

Cuban Festival Presencia Cubana

Echo Park, Los Angeles

California

17 de diciembre de 2004

Estimados amigos:
En la víspera de la festividad cubana de San Lázaro, o mejor Babalú Ayé Agróica Omobitasa como lo nombraron los esclavos lucumíes y sus decendientesn esta Isla; o Asoyí Ajano Adipreti Orosante nombre que le dieron los ilotas arará en Cuba; o Yegbé cual aún le llamán los Gangá Longowá matanceros, último resto de la religiosidad senegambiana en América; o simplemente Patá Llagá, cual le apelan los descendientes religiosos bantú o congos dentro de la llamada Variante Mayombe de la Regla Conga o Palomonte cubana, les deseo
desde este templo matancero de Olokum todo género de salud y venturas para Uds. y sus familiares.
!Aché bolissa, alafia!
Fraternalmente:
Israel Moliner Castañeda.
Consejo:
Quemar mañana 17 de diciembre incienso en las casas pidiendo primero salud.

Havana Sci-Fi
Curated by Adolfo V. Nodal
The Bronx River Art Center
January 15 - February 19 2005
Opening Reception: Friday January 14. 6 - 8pm

The Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) is pleased to present "Havana Sci-Fi", curated by Adolfo V. Nodal, a survey of eight young artists pursuing professional careers in Havana, Cuba today. This exhibition presents painting, sculpture and installation pieces representing the current vanguard of thought and preoccupations that are strongly reflected in their frank and unvarnished artistic output.

These artists, who represent a variety of points of view and backgrounds, are the new breed cutting their teeth in the international milieu and bohemian cultural atmosphere that is found in the City of Havana today. Hailed from various parts of Cuba and as well as from other countries. They are a mirror of the so called "Generation 2000" of emerging artists that are part of Havana's exciting art scene. The group of young artists in this show are the new cutting-edge of Cuban Art, still largely under the radar in Cuba and almost unknown in the USA.

Through these eight artists, we can see a panorama of artistic tendencies that are closely connected with the place that is Cuba-specifically Havana-and in strong relationship with intellectual life throughout the world. Although Cuba is embargoed by the US, these artists are remarkably worldly and part of the trends and ideas that are global and of our times.

This exhibition of individual art works, which also functions as a total installation, offers a gritty vision of art that is preoccupied with scientific process, ancient ritual, cycles, endless repetition, constant change and existential cause and effect relationships. This is raw work that is screened through an esthetic-scientific eye and biological, religious, and ecological concerns. They also offer a preoccupation with human representation, sexuality and censure. Havana Sci-Fi reveals a surreal perception that filters the viewpoint of these young artists and belies the effects of rapid social evolution and changing values in Cuba at the dawn of the 21st Century.

Currently the Havana Art Scene, fueled by four decades of enduring cultural development strategies by the Castro Government, has witnessed a solid ten years of international promotion due to increased tourism. Although relations between the US and Cuba remain severely strained, which has hurt cultural development on the Island, Havana is, culturally as vital as ever, with many active cultural venues and a full schedule of activities, events and critical discourse. Havana is one of the most thriving bohemian cultural centers in the Americas. This selection of Cuban visual artists, like Cuban music, continues to re-generate itself with new emerging talent, mixed with artists and ideas from the outside world. Those that would think Cuba is isolated intellectually are mistaken. Cuba is a place that generates new culture and fresh ideas just as regularly as the warm tropical waves lap against Havana's humongous seawall-- the "Malecon". There are eight of those warm waves of talent.

Los Animistas is a collaborative team consisting of a visual artist working with a media producer, a biologist, and a taxidermist that creates studies, installations, photography and other presentations that reflect existential, ethical and ecological issues while using native Cuban wild life (like vultures, bats, scorpions and crocodiles) as the work's primary metaphor. The work is a stark jolt to our conscience regarding the natural cycles of life, our ethics in society and our relationship to animals and natural processes presented through a scientific, bio-esthetic point of view.

The Bronx River Art Center
1087 East Tremont Ave.
Bronx, NY 10460
(718) 589.5819

Arte Cubano en California:

Cuban Photography of the Revolution

February 5-28, 2004

Please join us for the opening reception:

Thursday February 5th from 7-10PM.

Gallery A:
Cuban Photography of the Revolution
Curated by Darrel Couturier and Adolfo V Nodal

This is a show of over 50 photographs that made the Cuban Revolution appealing to intellectuals and artists internationally. It can be argued that without its photographers, the Cuban Revolution would not have attained its visual allure and heroic image. The many artists in this exhibition span the first and second generations of Revolutionary photography. The work includes images from the heady beginning of Castro's triumphant rise to power to images that reveal the stark reality of life in Cuba now 45 years later.

Gallery B:
NIX NIHIL Wall to Wall
Is a show of miniature collage paintings by LA artist, Nix Nihil. These abstract works provide a sense of preciousness and uniqueness that can only be described as abstract jewelry for your wall. Nix Nihil is a very promising young artist and this is her first one person show.

The "New Exodus Gallery" is a new gallery program that provides exhibitions on an itinerant and intermittent basis using various inside and exterior spaces in Old Town San Pedro. Named the in honor of previous landmark cultural programs, the Gallery honors the important contributions to San Pedro culture undertaken in the 1950's by San Pedro resident Connor Everts's Exodus Gallery.

Adolfo V. Nodal, San Pedro resident and art promoter is the director of this gallery effort. Mr. Nodal stated "Throughout history all great port Cities have been blessed with both Commerce and Culture. As Los Angeles' gateway to the world, Sam Pedro has always been a major part of the culture of our city. Recently the arts have flourished in our town and many artists' studios and galleries continue to open and thrive. We hope that The New Exodus Gallery will do its bit to continue this tradition"

Gallery Hours are Thursdays-Saturdays Noon-6 PM, and/or by appointment.

2004: February 2004: Cuban Photography of the Revolution

2004: Febr & March: Ruben Rodriguez: Erotic Art From Cuba

2001: La Rumba Soy Yo

 The ongoing body of the AfroCuban News can be find at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AfroCuba/