Contemporary art and dance in Havana, spring 2018, to mark 120th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Cuba

1. Contemporary art exhibition: “Going Away Closer: Japan-Cuba Contemporary Art Exhibition”

“Going Away Closer: Japan-Cuba Contemporary Art Exhibition” is an art exhibition founded upon cultural exchange between Japan and Cuba through the medium of contemporary art that is being held at Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam in Havana starting this March. The works of Japanese artists have occasionally been shown in Cuba through events such as the Havana Biennial, but this is the first exhibition to present a substantial collection of Japanese contemporary art. Rather than simply feature works by artists living in modern-day Japan, the exhibition is created through dialogue and collaboration between Japanese and Cuban curators, and with Japanese artists working together with Cuban artists and local communities. It presents mainly new works—including paintings, photographs, videos, and installations—by seven Japanese and four Cuban artists at Cuba’s leading contemporary art museum, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam. The exhibition will travel to Tokyo, Japan in June, after it wraps up in Cuba.

Exhibition details

Overview

Dates	Friday, March 9 – Saturday, April 28, 2018
Venue	Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Tuesday - Saturday (Closed on Sunday and Monday)
Curators	Yumiko Okada (independent curator) Hiroyuki Hattori (independent curator) Abel González (independent curator) Blanca Victoria López Rodriguez (Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam)
Advisors	Motoi Masaki (art critic) Margarita González Lorente (Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam)
Artists (in alphabetical order)	[Japan] Takahiro Iwasaki, Natsunosuke Mise, Futoshi Miyagi, Atsuko Mochida, Yuko Mohri, Tadasu Takamine, Kazutomo Tashiro [Cuba] Leandro Feal, Glenda León, José Manuel Mesías, Reynier Leyva Novo
Organizers	The Japan Foundation Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam Embassy of Japan in Cuba
With special support from	Ishibashi Foundation
In cooperation with	Artista X Artista

2. Japan-Cuba collaborative project: ENCUENTROS (ENCOUNTERS)

The dance performances in April feature a triple bill, with pieces by Saburo Teshigawara /KARAS and the Cuban dance company, Acosta Danza, including a new piece with choreography and direction by Saburo Teshigawara/KARAS and performances by dancers belonging to Acosta Danza. This new piece will become part of Acosta Danza’s future repertoire. Cuba’s foremost theater, popularly known as the Alicia Alonso Theater, is serving as the venue. KARAS’ head, Saburo Teshigawara, is active in a wide range of areas, including providing choreography for the Ballet de l'Opéra national de Paris, and has won high acclaim throughout the world, receiving numerous awards, including the Japanese Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2009 and the French l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Officier) in 2017. Acosta Danza is a new company performing both contemporary dance and ballet that was established in 2015 by Carlos Acosta after he returned to Cuba. Acosta is a former Principal Guest Artist of The Royal Ballet and very popular dancer in Japan.

Performance details

Overview

Dates	Friday, April 6 – Sunday, April 8, 2018
Venue	The Grand Theatre of Havana «ALICIA ALONSO»
Organizers	The Japan Foundation Acosta Danza National Council of Performing Arts (Cuba) Embassy of Japan in Cuba
Cooperation	Saburo Teshigawara / KARAS
Program (triple bill)	ENCUENTROS (ENCOUNTERS) - KARAS, Lost in Dance (Choreography/Set design/Lighting design/Costume design/Dance: Saburo Teshigawara, Artistic Collaboration/Dance: Rihoko Sato) - Work by Acosta Danza (program title: TBD) - Acosta Danza, One thousand years after (Choreography/Set design/Lighting design/Costume design: Saburo Teshigawara, Artistic Collaboration: Rihoko Sato)

Dancers