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CUBA

By David Gallo

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Some photos....

http://www.flickr.com/gp/85819512@N00/7uiir0

The Last Day...

I set out on my own the last day to go to a few of the galleries and museums I wanted to check out before we left. I ran into a photographer that was at the presentation on Friday and he showed me his gallery show that was around the corner from our show. We walked all over the place taking pictures of everything after arriving at the car museum and finding it closed. We walked around for about 3 hours and went back to the museum. On the street in front of the museum, we ran into one of his friends and right after we were introduced, the police came and started questioning them. His friend was not too cooperative with the police and they wound up having to go off with the police. As they were walking off, the photographer told me he would catch up with me later. I went to the car museum and walked around a bit. He was actually cuffed and taken to the police station and questioned because the police officer thought that I was being led around as I had stopped to take a photo and was walking a little bit behind the other photographer. His friends got let go quickly because they are in a popular Cuban band named Van Van. I found all of this out much later right before the ballet performance we went to. The photographer knew that we were going to the ballet and caught up with me there to let me know he was okay.

The ballet was recommended by our official unofficial translator. She is the wife of one of the other designers that was on the trip. The ballet was interesting and apparently quiet famous. After the ballet, we went back to the hotel, had a few drinks and talked to a design student that we met at the opening. It turns out that she designed one of the art catalogs that I am bringing back with me.

So ends the journey. I am in Miami catching up on the days I missed due to the fact that I bought all of the internet in Cuba....okay, so all of the internet cards in the hotel. Photos to follow.

Friday...

Today we met with CaCA which translated means "friends of the poster" club. Dan presented a slide show of the Seattle-Havana presentation at Bumbershoot. Then Craig, Matt, and I shared other poster designs with the group. We each had brought some extras to give to people in the club. It wasn't until after I had given my posters to a small group that I found out that most of them were professors at the ISDI which is Havana's Institute of Design. Their professors are pretty young, I believe that might have been older than all of them. I gave one of my new beatbox art prints to a young boy that was at the event with his father. When they turned to the page of the beatbox poster, his eyes lit up and I knew that he wanted one.

After the CaCA meeting, we went to the museum of the revolution. We saw a lot of spoons that belonged to the revolutionaries and the boat that carried Castro and Che from Mexico to Cuba. After the museum, we went to the Experimental Print studio. Julio (the party guy from the previous night) was there working on some new etchings. He showed us his work. I bought two pieces from the studio. One of the other artists sold me one of his prints as well.

For dinner we at in Barrio Chino, where there was some pretty decent Chinese food and some really terrible street performers.

The Opening

The opening of the Seattle-Havana poster show was amazing. There were a little over 300 people I believe. People really seemed to enjoy the poster show. The show opened with introductions of the artists from Seattle and we were applauded. It felt great. All of the catalogs we transported with us were taken before the opening finished.

After the show, we went to have beers with the Havana designers. One of the artists we had beers with was very crazy and he apparently is a famous local artist. After the beer drinking came to a close, we went out to dinner with Pepe and Eduardo, two of the designers in the show. I learned that in Cuba you receive a home that belongs to your family and in order to move, you have to house swap with people. The night ended shortly after that.

I am alive.....

I have arrived in Miami...I know there was some concern over the past few days as to what happened. But I purchased all of the internet cards at the hotel and they did not restock them. I will be in Miami for about 5 more hours, so I will be posting what I wrote in my sketch book since I could not blog everyday.

Jazz Club....

Last night we went to a jazz club and heard a really great band. They were probably around 18-25 years old, but really amazing. I am about to run out of time I will write more when I get back from the opening tonight.

¿Tiene Discos Compactos Blanco?

So, I tried to get some blank CDs to post photos and everyone sent me to some where else down the street resulting in pretty much nothing. It looks like I will just have to post them when I get back. Today I visited probably the largest poster collection in the city. Owned by a family that lives near a book market. There are so many awesome posters that were designed and printed here. I was able to purchase a few of the posters. When I tried to photograph some, I was asked not to because they were in the process of putting together a book. The family is also working out a website with some one in Mexico so you guys might be able to buy some of the cool posters too and get them shipped to you from Mexico. I would assume the book would be available on their site once it is printed as well. We also went to the national fine art museum and looked at the contemporary cuban art on display there as well as some colonial cuban art. I have yet to go to a music club but have stopped and listened outside of quite a few places. The music is pretty good everywhere, except in the morning when the trash trucks blast reggaeton as they drive down the streets. I found a music shop where classical guitars are 55 dollars. I of course cannot buy one because of the embargo.

Write ya later,
David

Cemetery and Cinema institute.....

Yesterday I walked all over the place taking photos in the morning. Then it was off to the screenprinting shop I visited on Sunday and I was able to see and photograph them printing posters. They use both the photo process and painting in with screen filler. We also journeyed to the cemetery and the Cinema Institute here. The cemetery was really interesting, however, there were several graves that were vandalised or pilfered. The Institute's lobby contains about 50-100 movie posters which were not allowed to be photographed unfortunately. We had Ice cream at the most famous place for it here called the copellia. It was really good. We walked from the ice cream parlor back to the hotel through all sorts of neighborhoods. We were almost pounced upon by a rot wyler? not sure how you spell that. He was sitting on this ledge on the second floor of a building and one of the group got too close I guess. Do dogs pounce? Anyway, today we are headed to the national museum. I think I finally found a way to get some photos up so I will try and get some up tonight.

Until then,
David

Day Two...okay maybe it`s day three.

We just got back from the Casa de las Americas. Where we met with a designer named Pepe that is in the show. It was great to hear about how designers work in Cuba. Where some work as full time designers and some are free lance with other jobs. Before meeting Pepe we had the opportunity to visit the apartment of Eduardo Marine who is in the show as well and got to look at posters he has collected and have influenced him and then he showed us his own work. Both were amazing and I shot photos and videos of a lot. I still have not figured out a way to post photos. I am very sorry, but if anything, I will post as many as possible when I get back. Also, if you are reading this, can you please comment...I mean some one other than my parents or my girlfriend...If you are my parents or Kelsey Wagner, I love you, please continue to post comments.

Hasta Mañana,

Signage, Marlin, and my cuidad legs....

This morning I woke up and got straight to roaming the streets to photograph signage and architecture. There are plenty of realy cool degraded hand panted walls and signs and some newer really nicely carved signs as well. I found some really neat graffitti pieces as well. I am now some what used to walking around the city and like that fact that everyone calls me "friend". They want to sell me this that or th other thing, but they don't push when I say "no gracias". It is kind of strange to have a government official say "good morning señior, have I got a deal for you." We just got back from a 4 hour stint of researching la playa estes. The beach is packed with tons of people and the water was nice. We found a place to get lunch and had a great piece of marlin for 5 bucks.
I have to go now. We are meeting a designer at 6:00pm which is right now.