Cuba’s Biennale: Fusterlandia: Havana’s Wonderland

It cannot be overlooked: in Jaimanitas, imagination reigns supreme. Facades, parks, walls and benches have been transformed into surreal works of art with colorful mosaics, and playful sculptures rise up on the roofs. The imagery of the Caribbean-happy motifs creates a hymn to life. And above all, she sings about Cuba, its people, its culture and history.

Before mermaids and other mythical creatures moved in, the residents of the sleepy former fishing village, located at the very western end of Havana on a bay between the posh Miramar district and the Marina Hemingway marina, would probably never have dreamed of what the future held for their district . Nowadays her barrio also goes by the stage name Fusterlandia and is one of the biggest attractions in the Cuban capital.

For several years now, tour buses have been heading along Havana’s long Malecón waterfront street, past the large hotel buildings in Vedado and across the 5th Avenida, which starts behind the Almendares River, to the artists’ district on the outskirts. Other visitors hire one of the famous American sleighs from pre-revolutionary days as a taxi to get here – their negotiating skills determine the fare. It’s cheaper with a national SIM card and “La Nave”; The customer-friendly app from a Cuban start-up is the counterpart to Uber.

The heart of Fusterlandia is the home of the eponymous artist José Fuster – the place where it all began more than four decades ago. Visitors marvel at the labyrinth of house and workshop that extends over several floors and buy real art by Fuster here. The offering ranges from inexpensive coasters or painted tiles to expensive, large-format works by the sculptor, painter and graphic artist, who was born in 1946 as the son of a worker in the town of Caibarién on the north coast of central Cuba. The master himself is often on site and tells guests about his projects.

It cannot be overlooked everywhere that the “Picasso of the Caribbean” was inspired by the Cubism of the Spanish painter as well as by the playful formal language of the Catalan architect and artistic innovator Antoni Gaudí. He is also compared to the Austrian Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Fuster’s works, which are based on naive art, live from motifs and symbols that he derives from nature, mythology, religions and especially the simple life of the people on the island. Fuster calls this “magical realism.”

The most striking works were created piece by piece in the truest sense. Palm trees and flowers, figures of saints and hearts, farmers with hats and guitars, fishermen and sea creatures, sun and rum, roosters and voluptuous women are among the recurring motifs in Fuster’s mosaics.

Over the years, Fuster and his collaborators have decorated well over 100 houses in the vicinity of the museum he and his family live in and transformed them into picturesque works of art. For the people of Jaimanitas and for other artists who were attracted to the place, this change has a number of positive aspects. With the money that Fuster earns from his art, he not only ensures beautification here, but also promotes the development of the community in every corner. The design and maintenance of Fusterlandia creates jobs and the tourists who come here also mean income for many in the Casa de Fuster area.

The presence of Fuster’s work is by no means limited to the enchanted district. As a painter, illustrator, sculptor and ceramist, he is one of the outstanding contemporary artists in his country. Exhibitions dedicated to him have been shown in the USA as well as in Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Great Britain, among others. In Cuba and internationally, Fuster collected numerous awards for his work.

Cuban celebrity Fuster has never made a secret that he shares the ideals associated with Fidel Castro and the 1959 revolution. “Your project, which is also mine,” inspired him, he wrote in August 2010 to the revolutionary leader and long-time president in a personal congratulation on his 84th birthday from “Jaimanitas, my trench.”

A formative experience for Fuster in 1961, which was declared the “Year of Education” in Cuba, was his participation in the literacy campaign for farmers in the Sierra Maestra in the east of the island. Two years later he began studying art in Havana. José Fuster is committed to making concrete changes for the better for his community and beyond through the means of art. Educational, cultural and social aspects come together.

Such noble claims are increasingly colliding with the reality in socialist Cuba, which is characterized by a severe economic and social crisis. After Corona brought the tourism economic engine to a complete standstill, it is only starting up again with difficulty and continues to struggle with Washington restrictions. The Pearl of the Antilles is also feeling the economic shocks of the Ukraine war. The 2.4 million international visitors counted last year are still two million fewer than before the pandemic. This means a loss of income not only for the state treasury, but also for many Cuban families. 3.2 million foreign tourist arrivals are expected this year.

A high budget deficit forces the state to make savings in all areas, and urgently needed investments are not made. Reforms are stalling or do not produce the desired results, corruption and an inefficient tax system remain a permanent problem. There are always fuel shortages and therefore power cuts. Other parts of the country are far more affected than the capital Havana. Gas stations where payments are made in foreign currency are particularly reliably supplied with fuel.

Access to dollars and euros is actually necessary for ordinary citizens and economic actors. The population is suffering the most from the enormous devaluation of the national peso since the currency reform carried out in 2021. The officially set exchange rate has long been outdated, even if the informal currency rate has cooled down somewhat recently. When exchanged on the street, one euro currently corresponds to 330 pesos, which is over 100 pesos more than a year ago. At the same time, the heavily devalued paper money is becoming scarce in Cuba’s banks, as transactions with it usually require large quantities of notes.

The US blockade, which has lasted for more than six decades and has been tightened several times, prevents investments by foreign capital and makes Cuba’s participation in world trade considerably more difficult. In view of the demand for many everyday products that the state cannot meet, the black market and, for several years, private importers have stepped in. Cubans living abroad make companies run on the island. And so, in the midst of the misery, new businesses are flourishing; Restaurants offer a previously unknown variety of food, delivery services and small shops offer food, sweets and drinks from all over the world that were previously unavailable in Cuba.

For quite a few citizens they remain that way, while the narrow range of state-subsidized products in the Libreta reference booklet is not reliably available and is not enough to live on. And so, in the most serious crisis since the infamous special period following the implosion of the socialist camp in Eastern Europe, Cuba is also confronted with increased social divides.

Because of the precarious and seemingly hopeless situation, a large proportion of the younger and middle generations in particular see emigration to countries such as the USA or Spain as a way out. Well-qualified people are leaving Cuba and are missing in all areas, and the society is visibly aging. At the end of last year, the country only had a population of just over ten million. In just three years, the population has fallen by a tenth due to mass exodus.

But there are also those who continue to believe in the light at the end of the tunnel and want to do something about it. Cultural life is part of such self-assertion and a gateway to the world. The Havana Biennale, which begins on November 15th, has the appropriate title “Common Horizons”. The 15th edition of the art festival in four decades will run until the end of February next year.

One of the artists taking part is Andrea Neumayer from Heidenheim. The textile designer, who studied textile design, was inspired to create her mosaic pictures during a stay in Barcelona two decades ago. For the Biennale, Neumayer will be involved in a large mural for which José Fuster designed the central motif: It shows the iconic symbols of Cuba, the proud rooster and the majestic crocodile. The artistic collaboration goes back to a visit to Fuster in Jaimanitas. Getting to know the visionary was a lifelong dream for her, reports Neumayer »nd«.

The work, which weaves together stories, experiences and styles across borders, will be installed on a seven meter wide and five meter high wall on the Malécon in the center of Havana. Also on board are the New Zealand mosaic artist Rachel Silver and the Cuban Damian Brito, who specializes in recycling materials for art.

The German delegation at the major cultural festival will include creatives from various genres who will present works of art and exchange ideas with colleagues from all over the world. The exhibitions and events are accompanied by music. Concerts are planned by the Berlin musician Tobias Thiele, who is closely connected to the Cuban scene. The legendary rock band Keimzeit from Brandenburg will have their premiere in Cuba in November. In addition to performances in the open air in Havana, there are others scheduled in Santa Clara during the “Ciudad Metal” festival.

A special highlight will be the staged reading of the Spanish version of the story songs “The Magic Tree of Dreams” by Monika Ehrhardt-Lakomy, who also wants to further develop a charitable project for children in Havana. Imagination can do a lot.