03 Dec 18 | Artistic Freedom, Awards, Cuba, Fellowship, Fellowship 2018, News and features
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Yanelys Nuñez Leyva and Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara
Update: All arrested artists have now been released, although they remain under police surveillance. Cuba’s vice minister of culture Fernando Rojas has told the Associated Press that changes will be made to Decree 349 but has not opened dialogue with the artists involved in the campaign against the decree.
Cuban artists Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara and Yanelys Nuñez Leyva, members of the Index-award winning Museum of Dissidence, were arrested in Havana on 3 December for protesting against Decree 349, a law that will criminalise independent artists and places severe restrictions on cultural activity not authorised by the state. Their location was unknown until 4 December when it became clear they were taken to Vivac prison on the outskirts of Havana.
The performance artist Tania Bruguera was arrested separately, released and then rearrested. In all, 13 artists were arrested over 48 hours. Some have commenced a hunger and thirst strike.
There are reports of artists, including theatre actors, being unable to attend the protest due to a police presence at their homes. There are also reports of artists being threatened by state security with being thrown off buildings and with having their phones confiscated and broken.
Before his arrest, Otero Alcantara told Index: “349 is the image of censorship and repression of Cuban art and culture, and an example of the exercise of state control over its citizens.”
“Index on Censorship condemns the arrests of Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, Yanelys Nuñez Leyva and Tania Bruguera, and demands their immediate and unconditional release,” says Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of Index on Censorship. “The arrests of those engaging in peaceful protest against a law that limits artistic freedom is completely unacceptable.”
Decree 349 will come into force on 7 December. Otero Alcantara visited London on 26 October where he protested in Trafalgar Square in flamboyant carnival attire as his character Miss Bienal against the draconian law. He told Index of his surprise at being allowed to demonstrate in a public area without interference from the authorities: “People stop and stare, you know, but police don’t arrest me. It is strange because this wouldn’t happen in Cuba.”
Otero Alcantara has been arrested on numerous occasions in Cuba, including in July for protesting Decree 349 outside the Ministry of Culture, and in August, along with Nuñez Leyva, for organising an anti-censorship concert.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1551353027371-75b2196d-f44a-10″ taxonomies=”23772″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
31 Oct 18 | Awards, Fellowship, Fellowship 2018, News and features
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”103502″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]Award-winning Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara donned flamboyant carnival attire as he unleashed his character Miss Bienal upon an unsuspecting Trafalgar Square on 26 October to protest against Decree 349, a law which threatens artistic expression in Cuba.
Expressing his surprise at being allowed to demonstrate in a public area without interference from authorities, he said: “People stop and stare, you know, but police don’t arrest me. It is strange because this wouldn’t happen in Cuba.”
Previously Alcántara was arrested for organising a concert against Decree 349, alongside Yanelyz Nuñez Leyva. If imposed on December 1, the law will see Cuba’s Ministry of Culture gain more power to censor art, issue fines and confiscate materials.
His character, Miss Bienal, takes inspiration from dancers of the famous Tropicana Cabaret and cliches about Cuba. He plans to perform as Miss Bienal around the world, and could recently be found parading the streets of Madrid.
Sue Bingham, country coordinator for Cuba at Amnesty International, was on hand to show her support. She said: “It’s important for the Cuban artists to be here today in Trafalgar Square because this is such an iconic place in London and they wanted to make sure that they bring their message to the very heart of the UK.”
Alcántara and Nuñez run the Museum of Dissidence, a public art project celebrating dissent in Cuba, and were the recipients of the 2018 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship for Arts. The activists finally received their accolades earlier this month after a seven-month battle to gain entry into the UK. The intimate ceremony was held at Metal arts centre in Chalkwell Hall, Southend.[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”12″ style=”load-more” items_per_page=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1540980270804-460204da-ed5a-7″ taxonomies=”23772″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
25 Oct 18 | Awards, Fellowship, Fellowship 2018, News and features
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”103471″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a Cuban artist, and co-founder of award-winning Museum of Dissidence will perform in Trafalgar Square on 26 October 2018.
Along with art curator Yanelys Nuñez Leyva, they were hosted in Metal Southend for two weeks in October as part of a collaboration with Index. During their stay, they were presented their Freedom of Expression Award in the Arts category by Index which they could not formally accept in April due to visa refusal by the United Kingdom.
Otero Alcántara will be reproducing an artistic action that he exports to different cities, most recently performed in Madrid. His character, Miss Bienal, was created in 2016 and was present at all of the 2016 Havana Biennial exhibition*. The character intends to symbolise the image of the sensual mulatto woman that every foreigner typifies in clichés for tourist and artistic consumption. Dressed as a dancer from the famous Tropicana Cabaret and distributing business card to as many people as possible, where he had his personal contact details.
Miss Bienal is now visiting London and making the character his personal loudspeaker for the urgent need for artistic free expression in Cuba. Censorship on the island is becoming worse as there is a new decree 349 which will criminalise all cultural production that does not respond to the ideology of the state. Miss Bienal will have the number 349 on her costume and will be informing spectators about the limited freedom of expression in Cuba.
*This performance was part of the Hors-Pistes event: The Spring of Love, curated by Catherine Sicot (Elegoa Cultural Produtions) and Geraldine Gomez (Center Pompidou, Program Hors-Pistes).[/vc_column_text][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”12″ style=”load-more” items_per_page=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1540481508887-a7b0f0ee-6632-9″ taxonomies=”23772″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
19 Oct 18 | Americas, Cuba, News and features, Press Releases
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”103304″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]“I think this is a great victory to get us visas and be in a space of happiness,” said Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcàntara arriving at a ceremony to collect his Index on Censorship arts award, after a 7-month fight to get a UK visa.
“Artists are like all people; they have a very important function. Like how the song of an artist can reach millions of people and make them cry, a picture from a visual artist can transform the feeling of what is happening in a country. This is something an artist has to take responsibility for.”
Alcàntara and Yanelys Nuñez Levya, the winners of this year’s Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards for Arts, finally received their award on October 18th at Metal arts centre in Chalkwell Hall, Southend.
Alcàntara and Nuñez are the founders of The Museum of Dissidence, a public art project and website celebrating dissent in Cuba, and went through a lengthy battle to gain visas for entry into the UK. Previously, the activists were scheduled to receive their honours in April. Fellowships and Advocacy officer Perla Hinojosa, who played a pivotal role in the campaigning for the activists’ visas, called it a “triumph”.
Hinojosa said: “It’s a triumph for activism because you see that if you speak out, if you talk about the wrongs and make them right, it happens. I think this was a positive for everyone, even the UK embassy in Cuba. I am really glad they re-evaluated their decision because now people are able to see the work – and the activism – that these artists do, and the great meaning that they have for the future of Cuba.”
The Museum of Dissidence has faced opposition, criticism and even imprisonment for its art and activism in Cuba, therefore Nuñez said it came as a surprise to find their work was acclaimed internationally.
In August Cuban authorities arrested Alcàntara and Nuñez for their roles in organising a concert against Decree 349, a law that is set to come into play on December 1st and will give the Cuban Ministry of Culture increased power to censor art display and exchange. The pair were beaten in detention.
Speaking about her initial reaction, she said: “We are very happy to be here and share with you our brilliant ideas and how we feel like artists being in Cuba. When we heard we had received the award at Index – we are so disconnected from the world, you know? We don’t have internet; we don’t have access to information. It was very complicated to understand that some people outside, abroad, know about us.”
Jodie Ginsberg, Index’s CEO, said: “Our art winners were not with us because the British government chose not to give them a visa. We are not ones to be easily defeated, and we are so grateful to be working with Colette, Syd and Metal, who gave us another opportunity to have an excuse to bring our winners to the UK.”[/vc_column_text][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1539960103319-b773dd8c-32fd-0″ include=”103307,103306,103305″][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”4″ element_width=”6″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1539960103323-ab4f2bbc-205b-10″ taxonomies=”23707″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
