Post-it 11 Awards Celebrate Contemporary Cuban Art

The awards ceremony for Post-it 11, the Contemporary Cuban Art Competition, organized by the Dirección de Galerías de Arte Collage Habana under the Cuban Fund of Cultural Assets, was held on Wednesday, November 27.

According to the Cuban Fund of Cultural Assets, after an in-depth analysis of the contemporary Cuban visual arts scene, the jury selected the following winners:

First Prize and Acquisition Award:

De la serie ¡Arriba las manos! by María Fernanda Chacón.

This piece was commended for its innovative reinterpretation of a canonical theme in Cuban art, its bold use of symbolism, and the refined poetic sensibility of its metaphor. It stood out for its sensitive treatment of collective history, its skillful construction of informative narratives, its updated use of materials, and its exquisite craftsmanship.

Second Prize:

 Diario visual by Kevin Sánchez.

This work was praised for its technical challenge to contemporary photographic practices, its impeccable scenographic composition in each image, and its ability to bridge personal and collective memory. The result is an intimate, evolving piece that reflects on social microstructures.

Third Prize:

 Fiestas populares by Alejandro Cañer.

The jury highlighted this piece for its audacious procedural approach, its break from conventional formats, its creative recycling of traditional cultural forms, and its clever, ironic modernization.

Special Distinction:

Nombre del año by Hanzer González.

This work was recognized for its sharp critique of time as a standardized tool of power and political propaganda. It incisively challenged linear, mass-produced narratives of history and achieved an eloquent integration of text, image, and sound.

The jury, which convened on Tuesday at the Galería Galiano, was composed of renowned figures from the Cuban art scene: Rafael Zarza, recipient of the 2020 National Plastic Arts Award; Nelson Herrera Ysla, a writer, art critic, and curator who has received the National Criticism Award (2007) and the Curatorship Award (2013); Claudia Laguna, curator at the Ludwig Foundation; and visual artists David Beltrán and José Emilio Fuentes, also known as Jeff.

This 11th edition of the event has solidified its role as a platform for dialogue among emerging Cuban artists, fostering an environment of diverse artistic languages, media, and perspectives.

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez