The Top Art Galleries In Havana Cuba

Subjected to the same political, social and economic complexities that permeate every aspect of life in Cuba today, contemporary Cuban art is an exquisite convergence of ideas, internal struggles, aesthetic principles, marketing interests, and available materials, resulting in unique forms of expression. Nowadays, it’s not hard to see the work of established Cuban artists in some of the main art circuits in the U.S. and Europe, but if you are visiting Havana, a tour of the city’s leading art galleries is an excellent opportunity to see a lot of it in its natural environment.

1. Villa Manuela

Art Gallery

Since its foundation in 2004, Villa Manuela has been an important gathering point for artists, art critics, and lovers of contemporary Cuban art. Attached to Cuba’s National Association of Writers and Artists, this art gallery promotes the works of the members of that organization. Add that to the fact that the gallery doesn’t have a license to commercialize art, and you’ll find unique shows featuring a varied selection of styles and artists from different generations. Art shows are held monthly, amounting to approximately 10 shows per year.

2. Factoria Habana

Art Gallery, School

Factoria Habana, installed in a spacious loft, is a relatively new art gallery in Old Havana. Its very interior structure and design seek to convey the center’s factory-like dynamic approach to art—a place that brings together art production, marketing, and the training of new generations of critics, curators, architects, urban planners, designers, and all kinds of artists. Among the most famous shows held at this gallery was Work in Progress by Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld in 2016.

3. Servando Art Gallery

Art Gallery, Museum

The Servando Art Gallery, devoted to the promotion of works by emerging artists, is a good place to visit for those staying in Vedado and one of the main attractions near the John Lennon Park. Located to the left of the Charles Chaplin Cinema, on the corner of 23 and 10 streets, the gallery hosts shows that remain on display for approximately three weeks. Their list of exhibitions includes some of the most talented young Cuban artists at the moment, including Lazaro Saavedra, Alejandro Campins, and Luis Enrique López-Chávez.

4. Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center

Art Gallery, Cathedral

Founded in 1983 with the goal of promoting visual arts produced in developing countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean, the Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center is one of the main cultural institutions in the country. It’s internationally renowned as the organizer of one of the main visual arts events in Cuba and the region: the Havana Art Biennial. Housed in an old colonial construction next to the Havana Cathedral (close to La Bodeguita del Medio), this cultural complex includes different exhibition spaces, bookstores, and projection halls, among other amenities.