An art exhibition titled “Seeking Another Cuba” opened in Miami on Thursday. The display features works of art commemorating July 11, 2021, when thousands of Cubans rose up against the tyrannical Castro dictatorship.
Via ADN Cuba (my translation):
Exhibition paying homage to July 11 opens in Miami
The exhibition “Seeking Another Cuba,” dedicated to the anti-government protests of July 11th and 12th, 2021, opened on July 6th at the Hodler Gallery in Miami.
The artistic event combines the efforts of Cuban producer Anyelo Troya, the organization Civil Rights Defenders, and the Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights (Raza e Igualdad) in a tribute to political prisoners.
During the opening ceremonies, actress and San Isidro Movement activist Iris Ruiz pointed out how Cuban artists have fought against the arbitrariness of the dictatorship. “Abuses affect all of us who believe in freedom of expression and art as universal values,” she said.
Troya, in turn, told ADN Cuba his goal with this exhibition is to express, as an artist, a moment in his life and what has happened to his friends.
“I seek to express artistic freedom, freedom of movement, and what is happening in Cuba,” he said in an interview.
He talked about his participation in the July 11th protests, where he only walked for about a half hour before being oppressed by State Security agents.
The purpose of the exhibition, as explained by its creators, is to show the peaceful demonstrations, cases of harassment against political prisoners and their families, and the personal stories of Cubans who long for a different country and a free Cuba.
The director of programs at Raza e Igualdad told Radio Television Martí that with this project, they seek to highlight the protests of July 2021 on the island and call on the international community to speak out for the Cuban people.
The event will start with a panel discussion featuring Cuban actress and activist Iris Ruiz, academic and activist Joanna Columbié, and the director of the Cuba Research Institute at Florida International University, Jorge Duanys.
The Cuban exile community has prepared several initiatives to celebrate the second anniversary. Among the activities is a vigil organized by the Center for a Free Cuba, Cuba Decide, the Patmos Institute, the Victims of Communism Foundation, and the Foundation for Human Rights Cuba. The vigil will take place in front of the Cuban regime’s embassy in Washington, D.C. on July 11th.
Several U.S. congressmen will also participate in a commemorative event on July 10th at the Brigade 2506 Assault Museum in Miami.
Moreover, Cubans residing in Italy and Uruguay have called for symbolic demonstrations on the date. In Rome, the capital of Italy, Cubans will gather starting at 2 p.m. (local time) at Via di San Nicola De’ Cesarini, and the organizers urge their compatriots to join the activity.
On the actual July 11th, Cubans in Uruguay will gather near the Legislative Palace of Uruguay in Montevideo, starting at 2 p.m. (local time).