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Past Exhibitions

Complicated Beauty: Contemporary Cuban Art

On view October 8, 2016 through February 5, 2017

Humberto Diaz, "Libertad Condicional (Conditional Liberty)", 2011. Photographs printed on Hahnemuhle photo paper 200g. Edition 5 of 5. The Bronx Museum of the Arts Permanent Collection, purchased with funds provided by Laura Blanco and Robert F. Shainheit.
Humberto Diaz, Libertad Condicional (Conditional Liberty), 2011. Photographs printed on Hahnemuhle photo paper 200g. Edition 5 of 5. The Bronx Museum of the Arts Permanent Collection, purchased with funds provided by Laura Blanco and Robert F. Shainheit.

Organized by the Tampa Museum of Art in collaboration with the Bronx Museum of the Arts 

Complicated Beauty was the Tampa Museum of Art’s first survey of contemporary Cuban art from the 1970s to the present. Inspired by the City of Tampa’s historical connections with Havana and the reopening of relations between the United States and Cuba, this exhibition highlighted several of Cuba’s most influential artists. With 40 works on view by over 25 artists, this exhibition was a cross-generational look at recent trends in Cuban art. Although the art in Complicated Beauty spans four decades, the artists address several similar themes related to Cuban identity and the island nation’s complex history. Many of the artists explore the effects of the Revolution, isolation, and barriers, yet celebrate the natural beauty and diversity of Cuba. Themes related to escape and water reappeared in many of the works on view. 

Artists featured in Complicated Beauty included: Belkis Ayón, Abel Barroso, José Bedia, Tania Bruguera, Maria Martinez Cañas, Los Carpinteros, Yoan Capote, Humberto Díaz, Carlos Garaicoa, Lázaro Armando Saavedra Gonzalez, Maria Elena Gonzalez, Quisqueya Henriquez, KCHO, Glenda León, Reynier Leyva Novo, Ana Mendieta, Ibrahim Miranda, Pedro Pablo Oliva, Mabel Poblet, Eduardo Ponjuán, Wilfredo Prieto, Diana Fonseca Quiñones, Sandra Ramos, Esterio Segura, and José A. Toirac.