MOA at UBC Presents North American Premiere of 'WITHOUT MASKS: Contemporary Afro-Cuban Art' Exhibition, Now thru 11/2

Vancouver, BC -- The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC opens a window into the lives and struggles of Cubans of African descent in Without Masks: Contemporary Afro-Cuban Art, the upcoming exhibition making its North American premiere from today, May 2 to November 2, 2014.

This remarkable exhibition has assembled a diverse group of 31 Cuban contemporary artists devoted to two fascinating themes: on the one hand an insight into contemporary Afro-Cuban cultural and religious traditions and, on the other, an intense dialogue on the complex racial issues affecting the country today.

"MOA is a place of both historic and contemporary world arts and culture; an institution where Vancouver's residents and visitors can develop an understanding and appreciation of the complexities of our global community," says Nuno Porto, Curatorial Liaison for Without Masks at MOA. "Without Masks gives us opportunities to broaden our understanding of issues of global concern, such as racism today. The Afro-Cuban struggle for recognition and social equity in contemporary Cuba resonate with challenges faced by communities all over the world, including here."

Orlando Hernández, formerly of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Havana, curated Without Masks following his own rigorous criteria. Focusing beyond aesthetic, the exhibit favours originality and the profoundness of the works' sociological, historical, anthropological, religious, ethical and political messages.

"There is a very strong African tradition in Cuba. We inherited many religious practices from Africa - Palo Monte, Santeria, Ifá, Abakuá - and there are a lot of Cubans of direct or mixed African descent," says Curator Orlando Hernández. "In Without Masks we seek to make new and deeper studies of those cultural, aesthetic, symbolic, and religious legacies that we share and take for granted, without forgetting that we have received them from black sub-Saharan Africa."

For Without Masks, Hernández has curated a powerful collection of artworks representing a cross-section of Afro-Cuban artists - from the internationally renowned to street and folk artists. The exhibition features 31 artists showing a total of 85 works (from the 146 which at present comprise the whole collection) spanning a range of media including painting on canvas and wood, watercolour, drawing, printing (xylography, silk-screen, calligraphy), collage, patchwork, installation, soft-sculpture, photography, video-installation and video art.

The exhibition's works are drawn from the von Christierson Collection. Chris and Marina von Christierson, themselves South African, first visited Cuba in 2007 and were drawn to the country and its art. During this visit they met Orlando Hernández and, in collaboration with him, developed a collection of Afro-Cuban art that would show the multiple imprints of Africa in Cuba's artistic culture. The collection was first exhibited at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2010 during the FIFA World Cup. A major catalogue featuring the collection is available in the MOA Shop. The collection is held by the family's Watch Hill Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable organization.

Without Masks will be exhibited in MOA's Audain Gallery.

To complement the exhibition, MOA has programmed a series of complimentary enriching and immersive experiences, including:

Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 2014, 7 - 9pm
Everyone is invited to join MOA in celebrating the opening of Without Masks.

Artists Talk: Saturday, May 3, 2014, 1 - 4pm
Vancouver resident Cuban artists Tonel Fernandez and Manuel Piña join Without Masks featured artists Marta María Pérez Bravo and Alexis Esquivel Bermúdez for a conversation on contemporary Afro-Cuban art. Curator Orlando Hernández, the Assistant to the Curator Lucha Maria Pérez Palacio A., and Without Masks featured artists Juan Carlos Alom, Juan Roberto Diago Durruthy, José Angel Vincench Barrera, and members of the collective The Merger (Mario Miguel González (Mayito) and Alain Pino) will also participate in this conversation.

Curator Tour: Sunday, May 4, 2014, 1 - 3pm
Curator Orlando Hernández will lead a tour of the exhibition followed by a discussion with Chris von Christierson about the partnership that led to the establishment of the Collection.

Artists Talk: Tuesday, May 6, 7 - 9pm
Without Masks featured artists Alexis Esquivel Bermúdez, Juan Carlos Alom, Juan Roberto Diago Durruthy, Jose Angel Vincench Barrera, Marta Maria Perez Bravo, and members of the collective The Merger (Mario Miguel González (Mayito) and Alain Pino), will present their different artistic practices. Curator Orlando Hernandez and the Assistant to the Curator Lucha Maria Pérez Palacio A. will also participate in this presentation.

Music @ MOA - Zapato Negro: Sunday, July 13, 2014, 2 - 3pm
Enjoy an afternoon of Afro-Cuban music with Zapato Negro, an ensemble of Vancouver's finest Latin and jazz performers.

Music @ MOA - Rumba Calzada: Sunday, July 27, 2014: 2 - 3pm
JUNO-nominated Rumba Calzada returns to MOA with their special blend of Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban salsa.

Latin American Film Festival @ MOA: September 3 & 4, 2014, 7pm
The Vancouver Latin American Film Festival and MOA are partnering to bring films to MOA that relate to themes raised in Without Masks. Films to be announced in August 2014.

Miradas/Perspectives - Special Exhibition Tours: Tuesday evenings September 16 - October 21, 2014, 7pm Local artists and scholars give specialized tours of Without Masks. Each unique tour will provide new perspectives on themes raised in the exhibition.

Film Screening: November 1, 2014, 2pm
Eric Corvalán's Raza (Cuba, 2008) is a documentary that explores the complicated issue of racism in Cuba through the eyes of artists, musicians, governmental officials and the general public.
All public programs are free with Museum admission.

About MOA: The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is world-renowned for its collections, research, teaching, public programs, and community connections. Founded in 1949 in the basement of the Main Library at UBC, its mission is to inspire understanding of and respect for world arts and cultures. Today, Canada's largest teaching museum is located in a spectacular building overlooking mountains and sea. MOA houses more than 42,000 ethnographic objects and 535,000 archaeological objects, including many, which originate from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. The Koerner Gallery features one of Canada's most important European ceramics collections, while MOA's recently opened Multiversity Galleries provide public access to more than 10,000 objects from around the world. The Audain Gallery and the O'Brian Gallery, MOA's temporary exhibition spaces showcase travelling exhibits as well as those developed in-house. www.moa.ubc.ca

About Curator Orlando Hernández: Born in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba in 1953, Orlando Hernández is an independent writer, poet, art critic and a researcher in popular cultures and Afro-Cuban ritual arts. He graduated in Art History at Universidad de La Habana, Cuba, in 1978. He worked as a curator and researcher in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana from 1978 to 1989. His essays on art and culture have been published extensively in catalogues, magazines and books in Cuba and abroad since the 1980s. As a poet he has made "Artist's Books" with Cuban artists José Bedia, Julio Girona, Gustavo Acosta, Carlos Garaicoa, Lázaro Saavedra and Ibrahim Miranda. He is a member of AICA - Southern Caribbean and UNEAC. He lives in La Habana, Cuba.