Arts Lead Writer Lexi Richards spent six weeks in Havana with the Duke in Cuba program this summer. She immersed herself in Cuba's rich arts scene by attending dance performances and visiting museums and galleries. This is her reflection on Cuban art and culture.
Sex is a popular pastime in Cuba. Nelson Valdes, a visiting proessor in the department of sociology says, "[Sex] manifests itself in writing, dancing, songs, sayings, soap novellas and day to day interactions." Fine art, performance art and theater incorporate sex and the demonstration of sexual freedom in their work. To an eye unaccustomed to explicit sexuality, the paintings and drawings on display in the National Museum of Art could be interpreted as lewd or vulgar displays of the body. Cubans view the art as beautiful and creative portrayals of the human form. "Sexuality is considered natural and positive," Valdes tells his class.
Despite its emphasis on the sexuality of both men and women, Cuban culture is traditionally patriarchal. Women began to utilize Cuban art less than two decades ago to portray life from the female perspective. A school of young female artists is now emerging, which asserts women's sexuality and political power through artistic expression.
But men and women are equals in their expression of sexuality on stage. Famous Cuban cabarets, which were frequented by Americans before the U.S. embargo on trade with Cuba, rely heavily on sexual desire to capture their audience. The Tropicana, for example, can be described as a scantily clad Cirque De Soleil. While the dancers and acrobats are extremely talented, the nightly show has a seductive vibe that at times overshadows the artistic and aesthetic elements of the show. Modern dance and dramatic theater ooze with sexuality in costume and movement on stage. Nearly-naked men and women dance together. The same activities exist in Cuban theater. A play performed this summer in Havana's National Theater focused on the life of a gay man in fascist Italy, with emphasis placed on his homosexuality and his love life.
In a nation plagued by poverty, the hope of finding true love drives lustful interactions between the sexes. In Cuba, there is often the worry that food rations will run out before the end of the month or that the U.S. government will impose new regulations that threaten survival, such as restricting family remittances.
The relationship between sexuality and strict government regulations remains uncertain. However, Fidel Castro's government allows Cubans to express themselves sexually while explicitly forbidding political expression. Perhaps sexual expression does not pose a direct threat to the communist regime. Castro's government prides itself on morality and the homogeneity of its citizens, yet sex does not fall under the category of its classification of immorality. While prostitution is illegal on the island, sex continues to manifest itself in every form of artistic expression. Sexuality in art is overlooked by the Cuban government's standards of decency. This exemption may be a result of the repression of individuality that runs deep in Cuba, leaving sexuality as the sole realm in which one can express himself. Or maybe a government that discourages passionate political debate creates a need for passionate connections between its citizens.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.