01/07/2021, 11:34
Tonight more signatures for the original petition arrived, therefore we added more names to the call.
New petition description:
Warsaw/Berlin/Dresden, June 30, 2021
CALL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF HAMLET LAVASTIDA
On 26 June 2021, the renowned visual artist Hamlet Lavastida (b.1983) was arrested by Cuban security authorities, and since then is being held in Villa Marista prison in Havana.
Hamlet Lavastida, before he returned to Cuba, completed his scholarship of the international studio programme at Künstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin, Germany. A few years ago he was a part of the art-in-residency programme in Center of Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle in Warsaw and exhibited his works in Warsaw. He is in conversation with the Albertinum in Dresden for their exhibition and research project on the relation of the GDR to socialist countries of the Global South. South.
We were happy and privileged to host him in our institutions. Hamlet Lavastida is an intelligent, provocative, boundary-pushing political artist-activist who highlights the distinctly Cuban spirit of cultural resistance and an art for and by the people. Hamlet Lavastida is a courageous and outspoken artist. He makes his opinions public and open for productive discussion – he hides nothing, but shares in open conversations and exchange. exchange.
We raise our deep concern to learn that the Cuban authorities hold him with no contact to his family and the artistic community of Cuba and worldwide. Hamlet Lavastida is kept in an isolated place to undergo “investigations” – a deeply troubling and haunting echo especially for us in places where this had happened to too many critical artists before. Hamlet Lavastida – just like these artists - believes in art’s role for a country that is inclusive, democratic, sovereign, prosperous, equitable and transnational as stated in the 27N movement manifesto.
We demand immediate release of Hamlet Lavastida and ask other artistic communities worldwide to join us in this call.
Künstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin Berlin
Center for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski CastleCastle
Albertinum Dresden
Teatr Dramatyczny m.st. Warszawy
Agnieszka HollandHolland
Agnieszka WróblewskaWróblewska
Renata CzarnkowskaCzarnkowska
Agata Całkowska Całkowska
Krystyna Chojnacka Chojnacka
Anna ZdrojewskaZdrojewska
Jowita Budnik Budnik
Magda SendeckaSendecka
Dariusz Olszewski
Maria Krauss
Ingo Arend
Norbert Thiel
Rachel Kohn
Lutz Rathenow
Prof. Renata Stih
Anett Stuth
Berlin Opus Cuba
Bankleer (Kasböck / Leitner)
Prof. Dr. Eugen Blume
Ares Marrero María
Katherine Bisquet Hernández
Camila Lobon
Signatures at the time of the change: 5
