When you enter the Harina de otro costal Art Center, located in the Andalusian town of Trigueros, the first thing you see is a beautifully restored mill. A testament to the old flour mill that operated there, a source of food for the town, today those walls produce another kind of sustenance: one capable of nourishing the spirit and enlivening the soul.
Since its founding in 2011, by Huelva-based painter Juan Manuel Seisdedos and cultural representative Lourdes Santos, the center has become a dynamic, irradiating space for art. Every summer, CubaCultura is held there, a project that concluded on August 26th in 2025 after an intense week of activities. Along with them, Cuban actress Laura de la Uz and Spanish photographer Héctor Garrido have been driving forces behind this cultural initiative that connects Cuba and Andalusia.
Those who visited the Harina de otro costal art center arrived either motivated by curiosity for the first time or encouraged by the certainty that they would find a good exhibition, a stimulating concert, an enriching talk, a moving film and even a culinary tasting.
The evening of August 26th had a special flavor: the Septeto Santiaguero took the stage and got the audience dancing with their son rhythm and the traditional forms that distinguish this group, a pride of Cuban musical excellence and winner of two Latin Grammys.
Between “La guarapachanga” and “Lágrimas negras,” another edition of an event that has strived to bring cultures together and connect sensibilities came to a close. “We’ve been promising for 12 years that this is the last CubaCultura. Obviously, we’re liars,” joked photographer Héctor Garrido in his closing remarks. And what a relief to know that “the last CubaCultura” has yet to arrive nor expected: the audience welcomes it every year with renewed enthusiasm.
“CubaCultura has been the best part of the year for this town,” Teresa Salas, a 77-year-old Huelva resident who visited Havana in 1973, told OnCuba. Also present was Carmen, 65, a resident of the town adjacent to Trigueros, who described the experience as an oasis that allows her to experience Cuban culture each year: “They are days of great enjoyment, with very good people,” she commented.
Spanish film director Arturo Menor — who last year presented his documentary Iberia, naturaleza infinita in Havana — attended the event for the second time in the Harina de otro costal center, along with his wife. A lover of Cuban music, he told us that “we will repeat it.” This sentiment is shared by Mónica, 57, owner of a hostel near the cultural center, who has witnessed the evolution of CubaCultura over the past 12 years.
They, like so many others, packed the guided tours led by sculptor Rafael San Juan, who showcased parts of his career through pieces created during the week of the event. The public also enjoyed the exhibition of Cuban film posters from the CartelOn project.
The film series dedicated to actress Mirtha Ibarra attracted the attention of an audience that each night spoke with the actress about her experience in films such as Fresa y Chocolate, Hasta cierto punto and Guantanamera, and about the influence of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea on her career.
And Federico was also discussed. With the screening of the documentary Lorca en La Habana, by José Antonio Torres and Antonio Manuel, there was no shortage of tributes to the poet on the 89th anniversary of his assassination. On August 19, CubaCultura 2025 opened its doors with the stirring voice of Gema Corredera, accompanied by Roberto Carcassés on piano, Leonardo Ángel on drums, and José Raúl Machado on bass.
And as if that weren’t enough, one night the event moved from Harina de otro costal to the Colegio de Santa Catalina, where Roque Martínez and Guajiro Sax offered an explosive and wonderful fusion of Cuban and Spanish musicians.
This is what an event like CubaCultura is all about: fostering encounters, sharing, giving and receiving in a genuine exchange. After 12 years, this series of activities, held in a small town in southern Spain, can boast of having brought its people the best of Cuban art of the last three decades, in all its forms. An effort that has been consolidated with the support of the Trigueros City Council and the Huelva Provincial Council.
Everything indicates that the people of Huelva will continue to listen to the Cuban clave and enjoy the art that flows there, where the mill is.
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Author’s thanks: To Lisette Murguía, for being my eyes, ears and voice on the scene.
