Exhibition Carlos Garaicoa. The Politics and Poetry of Space

Nasjonalmuseet, Norway's national museum in Oslo is hosting the first solo exhibition by Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa called “The Politics and Poetry of Space”. An opportunity to see the artwork of one the of most famous contemporary Cuban artists, examining the city and its spaces.

The city as a hub of power and control over the activities of its inhabitants, the city intended as the place by people for people, the city as an urban landscape influencing the way we are: these are the themes at the centre of the work by Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa being showcased at the Contemporary Art Museum in Oslo in his solo exhibition “The Politics and Poetry of Space” from 17 April through to 23 August 2015.

Cities have many different aspects, layered worlds and the artist uses a range of media and techniques, including drawings, photography, sculpture and installations to express these layers.

The recurring theme that ties it all together is how cities and architecture shape our thoughts, memories and dreams. As many different urban stories as the worlds they are born from. The narrative includes the city of people, the huge buildings as symbols of power and politics and even the memories of former glory or mute testimonies to the city's decay.

In Oslo, we can therefore admire the beauty and also the ugliness of the city, seen through the art of Carlos Garaicoa, whose works focus on the world of Cuba but that are equally relevant to all visitors, because the politics and poetry of the urban space are universal values.

Christiane Bürklein

Exhibition: Carlos Garaicoa. The Politics and Poetry of Space
Curators: Sabrina van der Ley, The National Museum, and Agustin Pérez Rubio, Director of the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA)
Location: The National Museum, Oslo, Norway
Dates: 16 April to 23 August 2015
Photography: Nasjonalmuseet/ Børre Høstland