Hombres Libres / Free men

9 May - 22 November

The Pavilion of the Republic of Cuba at the 61st International Art Exhibition presents Hombres Libres / Free Men, a project by artist Roberto Diago (Havana, 1971), curated by Nelson Ramírez de Arellano Conde with commissioner Daneisy García Roque. The exhibition is hosted at Il Giardino Bianco – Art Space, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 1814, close to the Giardini and the Arsenale, and runs from 9 May to 22 November 2026.

The title Hombres Libres carries immediate political and symbolic weight, set against a backdrop of ongoing energy shortages and growing international tensions affecting Cuba. The project revolves around a group of sculptural heads of varying scales that move toward the viewer, creating a direct spatial and confrontational encounter.

Diago’s work emphasizes that freedom is not granted but continuously claimed: an ongoing practice that demands memory, resistance, and the preservation of dignity.

Having previously participated in the Venice Biennale in 1997 and 2017, Diago has built an international career focused on historical memory, Afro-descendant identity, and contemporary social tensions, with works held in major public and private collections worldwide.

More info about the Exhibition