Open letter: Why we say NO to the 14th Havana Biennial and ask you to do the same

Open letter: Why we say NO to the 14th Havana Biennial and ask you to do the same

e-flux

Image based on a graphic by Julio Llópiz-Casal.

October 15, 2021
Open letter: Why we say NO to the 14th Havana Biennial and ask you to do the same
www.facebook.com/27Ncuba

To the international art community:

We are Cuban cultural workers who have asked our colleagues NOT to participate in the 14th Havana Biennial. Some might find it surprising or even shocking that we would reject the most important art event in our country—an event that has given so many Cuban artists the opportunity to share their art with the rest of the world.

Our reasons for doing this are simple: 

We say NO to participating in the 14th Havana Biennial because of the injustices being committed by the Cuban government against Cuban cultural workers, and against Cuban citizens who seek to exercise their constitutional rights.

We say NO to the 14th Havana Biennial because Cuban artists have been in prison for months, because dozens of cultural workers are under house arrest, and because over 1,000 of our fellow citizens were arrested during the mass protests that took place on July 11. Of those arrested, more than 500 Cubans are still in jail, among them several minors.

We say NO to participating in, attending, or supporting the 14th Havana Biennial because we have exhausted other means of continuing our efforts to free our colleagues. We have sent letters, issued petitions, expressed our outrage in print and online. We have made protest art and music. We have fasted in public. We have prayed in churches. We have asked for a dialogue with the Minister of Culture and other government leaders. Our friends abroad have marched and pressured their politicians. The European Parliament and the United Nations have condemned the arrest and harassment of Cubans who have sought to express their creativity and political will without violence.

And yet, our colleagues and our fellow citizens remain in detention. They continue to be harassed, to have their telecommunications cut, to have their movements surveyed, and their families threatened.

The institutions and functionaries that organize the 14th Havana Biennial are the same ones that have refused to listen to us. They have condoned and participated in the violence perpetrated against Cuban cultural workers who seek greater autonomy for Cuban culture and civil rights for our citizenry.

The problems we face cannot be reduced to an isolated case of censorship. We are contending with a systemic effort by the Cuban government to silence those who think differently. The lives of people in the cultural field are at risk.

We hope you will join us in NOT participating in, attending, or supporting this 14th Havana Biennial.

Signed,
Abel González Fernández, Abel Sierra Madero, Adonis Ferro, Adonis Milián, Adrián Castro, Adrián Castro Febles, Adrian de Banville, Adrián Martínez Cádiz, Adriana Herrera, Adrienne Samos, Agnaldo Farias, Ahmed Gomez, Aimee Garcia, Aimee Joaristi Argüelles, Akisa Omulepu, Alain Rafael Dueñas Estévez, Alberto Famadas, Alberto Jorge Carol, Alberto Seriocha Pérez Shasshova, Alejandra Labastida, Alejandra Villasmil, Alejandro Anreus, Alejandro Arrechea, Alejandro Barreras, Alejandro Daniel García, Alejandro Lopez Marrero, Alejandro Ulloa, Alessandra Saviotti, Alexander Pozo Cruz, Alexis Romay, Alfredo Triff, Alice Pedroletti, Alicia Arteaga, Alicia Bryans, Alonso Gil, Álvaro Cárdenas Castro, Amilkar Feria Flores, Aminta de Cárdenas Soroa, Ana Albertina Delgado, Ana Olema, Ana Rita Águila López, Ana Sofía Peláez, Ana Sokoloff, Anamely Ramos, Andrea Abbatangelo, Andrés Isaac Santana, Andrés Michelena, Andrew Brook Garru, Anelys Alvarez, Angel Delgado, Angel Santiesteban, Ángela Valella, Angiola Bonanni, Anguezomo Mba Bikoro, Anjali Sagar—The Otolith Group, Ann Stuart Tovini, Anna Gritz, Anna Indych-López, Anne Couillaud, Anne K. Senstad, Anne-Marie Melste, Anthony Budaire, Anton Vidokle, Antonio Correa Iglesias, Antonio Dieguez, Antonio Enrique González Rojas, Antonio Gómez Sotolongo, Antonio J Gonzalez, Arantxa Araujo, Arden Decker, Ariel Maceo Téllez, Aristalia Rosell Arrazcaeta, Arístides Falcón Paradí, Armando Chaguaceda, Asiel Babastro, Atelier Morales, Augusto César San Amrtín Albistur, Aurora Fernández Polanco, Aylin Sardiña Fernández, Bartomeu Marí, Baruj Salinas, Betânia Silveira, Billy Zhao, Boris Santa Coloma, Brigitte Nande Pérez, Camila Acosta, Camila Lobón, Camila Marambio, Camila Rodríguez, Camilo Godoy, Candice Amich, Carla Stellweg, Carlos A. Aguilera, Carlos Alberto Montaner, Carlos Alejandro Rodríguez Halley, Carlos E. Palacios, Carlos Garaicoa, Carlos García de la Nuez, Carlos García Pandiello, Carlos Infante, Carlos M. Quintela, Carlos Manuel Álvarez, Carlos Martiel, Carlos Montes de Oca, Carlos Motta, Carlos Olivares Baró, Carlos Yanisel Infante Vera, Carmen Ferrer, Carmen María Carrazana Pino, Carmen Peláez del Casal, Carola Dertnig, Carolina Barrero, Carolina Camps, Carolina Sansón, Catherine Sicot, Cecilia Andrews, Cecilia Fajardo-Hill, Cecilia Paredes, Celia González Álvarez, Celine Gruyer, Celso González-Falla, César Beltrán, César Castillo, César Damián, César Leal Jiménez, César Trasobares, Charles Esche, Charo Oquet, Chiara Sartori, Chico MacMurtrie, Christian Casas, Christian Curiel, Christian Viveros-Fauné, Christoph Singler, Cildo Meireles, Cirenaica Moreira, Ciro Quintana, Claire Bishop, Claire Fontaine (Fulvia and James), Clara Astiasarán, Clara Caballero Caraballo, Clara Morera, Claudia Genlui Hidalgo Moreno, Claudia Joskowicz, Claudia Muñiz, Claudia Patricia Pérez Olivera, Claudia Zaldívar, Coco Fusco, Colette Rodríguez, Connie Butler, Consuelo Castañeda, Cristiano Gabrielli, Cristina Delgado, Cristina King-Miranda, Cristobal Lehyt, Cuauhtémoc Medina, Dagoberto Valdés, Dai Skuse, Daimaris Herrera González, Dan Perjovschi, Daniel Cassady, Daniela Cecilia Rojo Varona, Darrel Couturier, David Brooks, David D’Omni, David Leitner, David Palacios, David Roche, David Rohn, Deborah Bruguera, Dermis P. León, DeWitt Godfrey, Diana Naranjo, Didem Erbas, Diego Sileo, Dinorah Pérez, Dmitry Vilensky (Chto Delat), Dolores Quintero, Doris Salcedo, Doris Sommer, Douglas Argüelles, Eduardo Abaroa, Eduardo Carrera, Eduardo Lamora, Eduardo Lozano, Eduardo Sarmiento, Eileen Kinsella, Eilyn Lombard, Eladio Gonzalez, Elena Dyer, Eliécer Jiménez Almeida, Eliexer Márquez Duany, Ellen Rothenberg , Elvia Rosa Castro, Elvira Rodríguez Puerto, Elvis Fuentes, Emilia Yulzary, Emilio Pérez, Emily Fitzell, Emily Jacir, Enrique Del Risco Arrocha, Erik Ravelo, Ernesto Ariel Suárez, Ernesto Calvo, Ernesto Menéndez-Conde, Ernesto Oroza, Ernesto Pujol, Ernesto Santana, Esteban Formoso, Eva di Stefano, Eva Guedes Sánchez, Evel González, Evelio Lorenzo Xiques Arteaga, Fabián Peña, Fabiola Arroyo, Felipe Benemelis, Felipe Lázaro Álvarez Alfonso, Ferhat Ȍzgür, Fernando Castro Flórez, Fernando Ruíz Lorenzo, Filio Gálvez, Flavio Garciandia, Florencio Gelabert, Florette Vassall, Florian Zeyfang, Frances Negrón Muntaner, Francesca Pietropaolo, Francesca Renda, Francisca Benítez, Francisco Casas Silva, Francisco Goldman, Frank Guiller, Frency Fernández, Gabriel Pérez-Barreiro, Gabriela Rangel, Galit Eilat, Gean Moreno, Geandy Pavón, Gemma Medina Estupiñán, Gerardo Fernández Fe, Gerhard Haupt, Germán Bel, Gerson Cordoví Parreño, Ghazel Radpay, Giacomo Zaza, Giselle González García, Giusy Checola, Gonzalo Hernández, Gregory Volk, Gretel Acosta, Grethell Rasúa, Guadalupe Aldrete, Guibert Rosales Abreu, Guillermina De Ferrari, Guillermo B. Irizarry, Guillermo Gómez Peña, Gustavo Acosta, Gustavo Orta, Gustavo Pérez Firmat, Gustavo Pérez Monzón, Gustavo Ramírez Cruz, Gustavo Valdés-Rivera, Hamlet Fernández Díaz, Hamlet Lavastida, Hannah Mathews, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Harley Spiller, Hayat Erdoğan, Heidi Hassan, Helen Molesworth, Heman Chong, Henry Ballate, Henry Constantin Ferreiro, Henry Eric Hernández, Hera Chang, Hermilo Maga Rivera, Hernando Urrutia, Hilda Erdmann, Hilda Landrove, Holly Chang, Humberto Castro, Humberto de Horta, Humberto Vacaflor, Ibis Alfaro Armenteros, Ilaria Conti, Ileana Cepero, Ileana Diéguez, Ileana Fuentes, Iliana de la Guardia, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Inita Hoyos, Irmgard Emmelhainz, Irolan Maroselli, Isabel Ibáñez, Isel Arango, Ismael de Diego, Ismael Gómez Peralta, Ivonne Ferrer, Jacob Hashimoto, Jacqueline Socias Pardo, Jairo Alfonso, Jamila Medina Ríos, Janet Batet, Janeth Berrettini, Janice Misurell-Mitchell, Jasmine Chohan, Javier Alejandro Bobadilla Diaz, Javier Buergo, Javier Caso, Javier L. Mora, Javier Téllez, Jayce Salloum, Jeannelle Ramirez, Jeff McMahon, Jennifer Acuña, Jessica Meir, Jessica Radogna, Jesús Hdez-Güero, Jesus Hernández, Jesús R. Rosado Arredondo, Jesús Ravelo Oriazola, Jim Goldberg, Joaquín Badajoz, Johanna Cilano, Joiri Minaya, Jorge Camacho , Jorge de Armas, Jorge Enrique Rodríguez Camejo, Jorge G. Fals, Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas, Jorge Luis Marrero, Jorge Masetti, Jorge Olivera, Jorge Pucheux, Jorge Sánchez , Jorge Tacla, José A. Vincench, Jose Antonio Arrebola Suarez, Jose Antonio Navarrete, José Carlos Diaz, José Joaquín Figueroa, José L Falconi, José Manuel Nápoles Puerto, José Ney Milá Espinosa, José Parlá, José Raúl Gallego, José Raúl Pino, José Sacramento, Josefina Valdés-Hurtado, Joseline Contreras, Juan Carlos Menéndez, Juan G. Molina, Juan José Herrera, Juan Manuel García, Juan Manuel Salvat, Juan Miguel Pozo Cruz, Juan Pablo Ballester, Juan Puntes, Juan Sánchez, Juan-Si González, Julia Bryan-Wilson, Julian Stallabrass, Juliana Rabelo, Julie Mehretu, Julie S. Álvarez, Julieta Aranda, Julio Álvarez-Pérez, Julio Iván Pisua Gonzáles, Julio Jesús Iglesias Díaz, Julio Llópiz-Casal, Julio Mitchel, Junhao Gan, Junot Díaz, Karla Mendoza Mitchell, Katerina Paras, Katherine Bisquet, Kay Aplin, Ken Lun, Kerry Doran, Keyna Eleison, Kiko Faxas, Kim Kozzi, Kirsten Heydinrych, Kodwo Eshun—The Otolith Group, Ladislao Aguado, Ladislao Velázquez, Lari Pittman, Laura Barron Echauri, Laura Díaz Milán, Laura Gustafsson, Laura Letinsky, Laura Lima, Laura Raicovich, Lay Ramírez Pérez, Lázaro Bruzón Batista, Lázaro González Valdés, Leandro Feal, Leanne Russell, Legna Rodríguez Iglesias, León Padrón Azcuy, Leonardo Acosta, Leonardo Fernández Otaño, Leora Maltz-Leca, Lesbia Orta Varona, Leslie Hewitt, Lesly Fonseca, Lester Álvarez, Letícia Larín, Leticia Silva, Levi Orta, Leyden Rodríguez-Casanova, Lia Villares, Liam Gillick, Lila Amat Ortega, Liliam Dooley, Lillian Guerra, Lino García Morales, Lisa Deanne Smith, Lizable Mónica, Lizandra Almaguer Coyaso, Loisel Castro Herrera, Lorenza Pignatti, Lorenzo Fusi, Lory Fuchs, Lourdes Cantillo, Lourdes Correa-Carlo, Lucía Álvarez Borrajo, Lucía Hinojosa Gaxiola, Luis Alberto Mariño Fernández, Luis Ángel Leiva Vázquez, Luis Camillo Osorio, Luis Cruz Azaceta, Luis Domínguez, Luís Duno Gottberg, Luis Gispert, Luis Pérez-Oramas, Luis Trápaga, Luise Kaunert, Lupe Alvarez, Lydia Rubio, M. Carmen Lane, Mabel Llevat, Magali Lara, Magaly Espinosa Delgado, Magda Fernández, Magda González Mora, Magdz Verhaeghe, Magela Garcés, Mahara Martínez, Mailyn Machado, Malu Valerio, Man Yu, Manuel Barcia Paz, Manuel Gayol, Manuel Piña, Manuel Viera, Mara Elena Escalona, Marc E. Grossberg, Marc Johnson, Marcela Andrade, Marcela Guerrero, Marco Castro, Marco Paulo Rolla, Marcos A. Castillo, Marcus Kuiland Nazario, Margarita Baró, Margarita Fresco, Mari Carmen Ramírez, Mari Claudia García, Maria Belén Saez de Ibarra, Maria Canela, Maria Cristina Jadick, María de Lourdes Mariño Fernández, María del Carmen Halley Posada, Maria Figueroa, María Inés Rodríguez, María Martínez Cañas, María Rosa Jijón Calderón, Maria Virginia Ramírez Abreu, Marialy Cantellano, Mariano Ross, Mariantonia Ordóñez, Mariela Brito, Marilyn Volkman, Marina Abramović, Marina Abramović Institute, Mario Ernesto Sánchez, Mario García Torres, Mario Luis Reyes, Mario Ramírez Méndez, Marisa Morán Jahn, Marta María Ramírez García, Marta Viana Tomé, Martha Wilson, Marvelis Lozano Martínez, Massimiliano Scudero , Mathias Ulrich, Mayte Lazo, Melissa Fidalgo Fontoura, Mercedes P. Baute de Robayna, Meyken Barreto, Micaela Giovannotti, Michael A. Chmiel, Michael Rakowitz, Michelle Browne , Miguel Sales Figueroa, Milay Companioni Tabares, Milena Rodríguez Gutiérrez, Miler Lago, Mimmo Catania, Miryorly Garcia Prieto, Misleidys González, Modesto D. Serpa, Moe Satt, Moisés Leonardo Rodríguez Valdés, Mónica Amor, Mónica Baró, Monica Espinel, Monica Mayer, Mónica Ravelo García, Monika Burczyk, Naeem Mohaiemen, Narelle Jubelin, Natacha Herrera, Nedko Solakov, Neife Rigau Chiang, Nelson Jalil Sardiñas, Néstor Diaz de Villegas, Nicolas Bourriaud, Nicolás Dumit Estévez, Nikki Columbus, Noah Khoshbin, Noel Smith, Núria Güell Serra, Nury Bacallao Azcue, Olga Viso, Omar Berrada, Omar Lopez-Chahoud, Omara Isabel Ruiz Urquiola, Orlando Doncel Hernandez, Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, Oscar Grandío Moráguez, Osmany Suárez Rivero, Osvaldo Sánchez, Oswaldo Paez-Pumar, Pablo Brouwer, Pablo de Cuba Soria, Pablo Helguera, Pablo León de la Barra, Pablo Medina, Pablo Rivera, Paco Barragán, Paola Antonelli, Paola Fiterre , Paolo De, Paquito D’Rivera, Pat Binder, Patricia Sloane, Patricio del Real, Paul Echaniz, Paul Ramirez Jonas, Paula García, Paulo Cavera, Pavel Urkiza, Pedro Luis García, Pedro Monge Rafuls, Pedro Pablo Bacallao Perdomo, Peter Noever, Philip Sugden, Piboyne Barceló, Pilar González Moreno, Pío E. Serrano, Priscilla Monge, Rachel Price, Rachel Weiss, Rafael Bordao, Rafael DíazCasas, Rafael Domenech, Rafael Gómez González, Rafael López Ramos, Rahimah Abdurahim, Ramiro Martínez Estrada, Ramón Fernández-Larrea, Ramón Martínez Pastrana, Raúl Báez Núñez, Raúl Enrique Medina Orama, Raul Quintanilla Armijo, Raul Sergio Arroyo, Raychel Carrión, Regina José Galindo, Regis Soler, Reinaldo González, Renata Crespo Suárez, René Morales, Reynaldo Lastre, Reynier Leyva Novo, Ricardo Acosta, Ricardo Figueredo, Ricky Castillo, Rita Geada, Robert Schweitzer, Robert Storr, Rodrigo Galecio, Rolando Ochoa, Rolando Peña, Rolando Vazquez, Rolens Perdomo García, Rosa Lowinger, Rosa Pera Roca, Rosăgela Rennó, Royma Cañas, Rubén Cruces Pérez, Rubén Darío Díaz Chávez, Rubén Fuentes, Rubén Fuentes González, Rubén Hernández, Rubén Mendoza, Rubén Torres Llorca, Sadiel Mederos Bermúdez, Sadio Garavini di Turno, Sagrario Berti , Saisha Grayson, Sally Mizrachi, Salomé García Bacallao, Sam Durant, Samir Bernárdez, Samuel Khoshbin, Sandra Ceballos Obaya, Sandra Contreras Tablada, Sandra Martínez Dustet, Sandra Ramos, Sara Bejerano, Sara Yaoska Herrera Dixon, Sarah Howard, Sasha Huber, Sebastián Llovera, Serge Le Borgne, Shaun Leonardo, Shirin Neshat, Silvia Dorfsman, Silvia Gruner, Silvia Vega-Llona, Simone García Bacallao, Solveig Font, Sonia Álvarez de Toledo, Sonia Boyce, Stéphanie Noach, Stephen Shoshua, Sue Williamson, Susana Mohammad Gattorno, Susanna V. Temkin, Suset Sánchez, Suzanne Lacy, Sylvia Figueroa, Taiyana Pimentel, Tamara Díaz Bringas, Tania Bruguera, Tania Tasé Hansel, Tere Iturralde, Teresa Casanueva, Teresa Margolles, Teresa Serrano, Teresita Fernández , Terike Haapoja , Terje Nicolaisen, Thais Mailen Franco Benítez, Thale Blix Fastvold, Thanos Argyropoulos, The Amelia Peláez Foundation, Theaster Gates, Thomas Lax, Tomas Sánchez, Tomy Suárez, Urseula Davila-Vila, Ursula Biemann, Valeria Schulte-Fischedick, Valerie Cassel Oliver, Vera Van Laer, Víctor Alfonso Cedeño, W.J. T. Mitchell, Waldo Pérez Cino, Walid Raad, Wilfredo A. Ramos, William Cordova, William Riera, Willy Castellanos Simons, Winston González, Yaima Pardo La Red, Yali Romagoza, Yamilka Lafita Cancio, Yanelys Nuñez, Yania Suárez Calleyro, Yanilys Sariego Acosta, Yarbelis Escobar, Yaysis Ojeda Becerra, Yazmany Arboleda, Yeremy Guerra Reyes, Yilian Montesino, Yishai Jusidman, Yissel Arce Padrón, Yuneikys Villalonga, Yunior Careaga, Zhang Zaoli, Zulaine Soler, Zulema Gutiérrez


To add your signature, please email no14bienal [​at​] gmail.com.

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