Exhibition at Villa 102

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). Lavastida is currently taking part in the Berlin Programme for Artists (BPA) at KW Institute for Contemporary Art Berlin.

Curator: Rose Field
Assistant Curator: Alica Sänger

Past events

Vernissage

09.12.2024
18:00 - 20:30 

Artistic intervention by Hamlet Lavastida - Bring a banknote – currency and condition don't matter.
Registration is required.

Curator’s Tour with an Aperitif (in German)
Tuesday I 07.01.2025 I 18:00-19:00

Guided Tours (in German)
Tuesday I 18:00-18:45
10.12.2024, 17.12.2024, 14.01.2025, 21.01.2025

Paneldiscussion: Can Art do Revolution

29 January 2025

Entry: 17:30  I  Start: 18:00 

What influence can art have on the perception of political ideologies? And how can it be used to empower or alienate? How can a protest be influenced by images? The artist Hamlet Lavastida and the design researcher and graphic designer Dr. Felix Kosok will talk about the links between art, revolution and democracy.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Aisha Camara.

The panel discussion is a continuation of the ‘Democracy in Dialogue’ series.

The discussion will take place in English.

Capacity for the public programme is limited. Registration for the vernissage, guided tours and paneldiscussion is required. The guided tours take place with a minimum of 5 participants.

Photo Credit

All images Courtsey of Hamlet Lavastida

Republica Penitenciaria,100 y Aldabo, Installation in the exhibition „See You at the Studio“ at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, (c) Hamlet Lavastida