Cuba also felt the renewal airs during the time between the two world wars period, from 1920 to 1941 or so. The growth industry and market experienced caused people to look at architecture, fashion, design and music in a different way. This refreshing style that encompassed the different art forms is known as Art Deco.
Cuban architecture underwent major changes as a result of the new cultural concept. From that moment, it was given greater functionality and a different spatial sense in constructions. In addition, contractors included domestic materials and established a special relationship between the landscape of the garden and finding ventilation. To disseminate these assets in Cuba and the rest of the world, Havana will host the 12th World Convention on Art Deco.
The event is sponsored by the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies (ICADS), the National Council of Cultural Heritage and the HabanaDecó Group, created in 2009. During the event, there will be a special presentation of Cuban heritage regarding the art style and they will organize specialized visits to heritage sites in Havana and other provinces.
Cuba was chosen to host, Gladys Collazo-president of the National Council of Cultural Heritage said during a news conference, because the country’s institutions meet the requirements and have the necessary conceptual organicity to ensure the celebration. In addition, she said that "the realization of this international event is the result of a set of actions taken since 2000, to preserve and spread the art deco heritage in our archipelago."
So far, according to Gustavo Lopez- General Coordinator- is confirmed the presence of 154 participants, among whom are academics, collectors, journalists and historians from countries like USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Australia, France, China and Nigeria. Among the delegates are several personalities like Sandra Cohen, president of ICADS; Kathy Hausman, Robin Grow and Patrick Cranley, president of the Art Deco Society of New York, Australia and Shanghai, respectively.
From the United States, one of the countries with paradigmatic examples of the architecture of this style as The Chrysler Building, and The Empire State Building in Manhattan, or the constructions of Miami Beach Art Deco District, will come Alastair Duncan, author of Art Deco Complete and American Art Deco and one of the most important scholars of the movement in the world, and Hermes Mallea, a great admirer and researcher of Cuban architecture, who wrote Great Houses of Havana. A Century of Cuban Style.
The lectures and discussions of the event will address the main characteristics of Art Deco in the world with emphasis on Cuba. Similarly, they will talk about the equity and the need to preserve and revalue it. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the paper by Mitzi Mogul about conservation of Art Deco in Los Angeles. Delegates will also enjoy the conference by US Gold Vicky Levy, who made a parallel between the graph produced in Cuba and the United States during the boom period of Art Deco, a product of extensive research in this area.
From Latin America comes Woney Unes, Brazilian architect, to speak on the Art Deco heritage of his country, for his part, Argentinean Fabio Grementieri will show the results of their studies on the influence of this style in the city of Buenos Aires. In turn, it was confirmed the presence of renowned Cuban architects Mario Coyula, Daniel Taboada and Maria Elena Martin Zequeira, the latter presented a guide on Art Deco in Havana.
Parallel to the theoretical event, the Deco Week will offer an attractive cultural programming to all concerned. Among the activities included there is a gala of the National Ballet of Cuba, screenings of Cuban film made between 1930 and 1950, as well as exhibitions of various forms of visual arts, book presentations and lectures on the subject in the Higher Institute of Arts (ISA) .
Within these various proposals, a sample poster stands out that shows the influence of Art Deco in Cuban graphics. In this regard, the intellectual Alfredo Guevara-President of the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, who was also present at the press conference, explained that "these are works from the first 25 years of the Cuban Revolution, a period in which there was broad poster production in our country.”
In order to publicize the event and all scheduled actions, they will carry out an extensive promotional campaign, headed by an audiovisual spot made by the Cuban singer X Alfonso. The communicative product, of high formal and conceptual quality, expresses the essence of the movement through images building characteristics and motives Art Deco in Cuba, together with sound elements also reflect the zeitgeist. Similarly, it has made a poster that refers to inner wall located in the lobby of the Serrano Lopez apartment building, one of the best examples of Art Deco in Cuba, located in Vedado.
This building will be visited by one of the participants in the global event, which also will appreciate the beauty of the Bacardi Building in Old Havana, the Fausto and America theaters from the seat of the House of the Americas, and other examples, on the residential area, which for many is less known. At the conclusion of the work sessions, delegates will enjoy treasured heritage in other cities like Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Camaguey, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba.
About the impact of the event, the Cuban-American Geo Darder-ICADS international representative and promoter of the celebration of this 12 Convention says it will be a time for the Cuban people to identify with a style that is part of the history of contemporary art that is very present in the territory: "It will be a time to share the literature we have produced to date on the subject. All these publications can access the public and this will undoubtedly help to improve the education of citizens regarding the issue. "
Similarly, Darder said the large presence of Latin American architects and scholars and the importance of this for the rescue and Art Deco heritage in America. The celebration of the 11 Convention in Rio de Janeiro and the next venue in Cuba, are indicative of a greater role for the continent in all matters related to this style.
The wide range of activities that has been planned, and the reputation of the institutions involved in its development and assistants, forecast a luxury Convention. After becoming Havana, next March, the Art Deco capital, examples of this movement in Cuba will have new fans and perhaps new perspectives will emerge along analytical approaches that increase the flow of information on the subject.
Author
Ana Lidia García
