Yanks Chasing Cuban Art

Excerpted from the SvD Kultur article by Helena Gustavsson.

In a garden in Louisville, Kentucky, is The Chrysler Building. Rather, a much smaller and curvier version of the iconic building in New York. The tower has namely been a basement extension in the form of a coiled fire hose that continues far down below street level.

We consider the sculpture “Chrysler”, by the Cuban artist Alexandre Arrechea, on a cell phone picture of a taxi in Havana. Both the phone, the garden and the six meter high sculpture belongs to Jonathan Blue, a 47 year old financier who put a lot of time and money on his growing art collection and now has his sights set on Cuba.

An artistic link stainless steel between the US and Cuba, the former arch-enemies that now seems increasingly relaxed in each other’s company. In December it was announced that diplomatic relations were resumed, and in mid-January was eased travel restrictions for Americans. Interest in traveling between the US and Cuba turned out to be huge. Marazul airline, which flies mainly from Miami, received during the last two weeks of January 1300 requests for group travel, compared with 30 during the same period last year.

In March there was also a revival of direct flights between Havana and New York, USA’s art capital. It no longer requires any special license to travel to Cuba, but the American who wants to experience the country still need to have an approved purpose of the trip. Interest in buying art is one of these. Beach Visit prohibited.

To read the rest of the article in its entirety, visit the SVD Kultur site here or download a PDF.