The art was hidden

There is a place in a central street in Havana's Vedado district that remained invisible to me until a few days ago, when I had to visit it for work reasons.

It is the Experimental Centre of Visual Arts José Antonio Díaz Peláez and is located on the corner of 23rd and C.

The funny thing is that I have been there just across the street in the park and in an Iranian restaurant on the previous block, at 23rd and D, to be more precise. However, I never noticed that, in this old house, something more than art happens in a, let's say, communal atmosphere.

Let me explain better.

It is a place for art where the Belkis Ayón Galery is also located, and where various exhibitions are programmed, open to the public for a certain time; but it has other spaces where they offer workshops in painting, clay modelling, photography, and even preparation for the aptitude tests of the National Academy of Fine Arts San Alejandro.

_{A person from Hive noticed a chalk and a blackboard and left... a mistery}

All these activities, of course, are segmented into age ranges, so that knowledge can be accessible to children, adolescents, young people and the elderly.

_{The Minister Counsellor of the Japanese Embassy in Havana, Namba Atsushi, his wife and Yuki Asaka, assistant at the Culture Section of the Japanese Embassy, talk with artists and officials of the Centre.}

Specifically, I went to the prize-giving ceremony, on behalf of the Japanese Embassy in Cuba, for a group of children who participated in the 18th Haiku Contest for Children of the World. And the most curious thing is that they had developed this art of writing short poems, of only three lines, in conjunction with a minimalist style of painting that goes by the name of Haiga.

If you are not familiar with this, it is an ancient artistic practice of composing haiku and illustrating them.

blue sky
my cousin crying
for cold chocolate

Playing in the garage
three cats, when days are
cold to freeze

(These are examples of participations)

_{Wendy Carballo was one of the winners.}

Starry night
All together
Dining as a family

_{Sonia B. Concepción Prendes was the other winner.}

On a warm morning
I can see two girls
with the same backpacks

I liked the atmosphere I witnessed there. Apart from the activity taking place, I saw people sharing in the large portal, where light meals and drinks are offered.

The journalist I went to work with invited me to a coffee and we sat in a little bohemian corner to enjoy it, while we waited for the car to take us home.

I think the decoration is quite interesting, even though this place is not as well preserved as it should be. I mentioned the word "bohemian" before because that's the atmosphere. You can notice it in the solutions they used for the furniture and the ornamentation, as well as the decoration of the walls.

I have always thought that places like this, which are so important for the soul and spirit of the people, should receive all kinds of support in terms of restoration and maintenance. A Centre that encourages the growth of individuals and the community cannot look ruinous. Here we see that it makes learning spaces available, but there is also room for recreation and the development of meetings between artists or students, as we noticed.

I found that this Experimental Centre for Visual Arts has a Facebook page that is quite updated with reviews of the activities that take place there, and I saw that they offer trova concerts as well.

I have prepared a video for you to appreciate the place. If you happen to be nearby, you know where you can have a good time where the art is no longer hidden.

By the way, the work done by the journalist is very nice and you can read it here.