The Local Made Global: Lessons from Contemporary Cuban Artists

Dissident artists in Cuba have historically been subjected to various modes of censorship, leading to innovative forms of circumvention. From a greater focus on more ephemeral modes of artmaking to the establishment of underground networks for the dissemination of protest art, many have been successful in developing careers as activist artists within Cuba and abroad. In dialogue with writings by Claire Bishop, Coco Fusco, Gerardo Mosquera, and Chantal Mouffe, this article focuses on the emergence of alternative spaces established by Cuban artists across the island and internationally, with the alternative spaces within Cuba being those that are separate from the official spaces established or espoused by the government. Utilising alternative spaces established by Cuban artists as case studies, the analyses reveal nuanced understandings of sites as spaces of alterity and intervention while also expanding the possibilities of alternative spaces for contexts that extend beyond Cuba. Furthermore, this article introduces the concept of the Cuba Model, which considers the ways in which Cuban artists have adapted the grassroots approach to curatorship seen throughout the island's alternative spaces to larger institutions abroad.