Hamlet Lavastida examines the visual language of Cuban socialism in his first solo exhibition „Revolución sin la Revolución“ (Revolution without the Revolution) in Frankfurt am Main. In intricate paper cut-outs and large-format wall works, he reveals how state narratives shape historiography and calls for a critical examination of Cuba’s present. Lavastida creates and uses his own archive of reappropriated images, texts and symbols, mainly from the 1960s and 70s. The blueprint outline of buildings used for undisclosed political purposes also find their way into his work, such as the Villa Marista prison in Havana where political prisoners are held. Living since 2022 in exile in Berlin, Lavastida was part of the 27N democracy movement. As an artist and activist, Lavastida combines his historical and artistic research with the demand for transparency and freedom for positions critical of the regime.
Hamlet Lavastida (*1983 in Havana/Cuba) was a fellow of the KfW Stiftung in cooperation with Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, from 2020–2021. In 2022, he was honoured with the Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Award in the category of Art and the Idealist of Contemporary Art Prize. He participated in the Kyiv Biennial (Vienna) as well as documenta 15 (Kassel) and has exhibited in renowned museums such as the Albertinum (Dresden), Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid), Artium Centro-Museo Vasco de Arte Contemporáneo (Vitoria-Gasteiz) and Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdów Castle (Warsaw).
Public Programme
Guided Tours (in German)
Tuesday I 18:00-18:45
10.12.2024, 17.12.2024, 14.01.2025, 21.01.2025
Curator’s Tour with an Aperitif (in German)
Tuesday I 07.01.2025
18:00-19:00
Guided group tours upon request: veranstaltungen@kfw-stiftung.de
For more information and to register for the public programme, visit our website: www.kfw-stiftung.de/hamlet
