PRESENTATION: La Capacidad de Soñar (10 Years of Galleria Continua in Habana)

Galleria Continua was founded in 1990 by Mario Cristiani, Lorenzo Fiaschi and Maurizio Rigillo, with the intention, evident in the name, to give continuity to contemporary art in a landscape rich with the signs of ancient art. Occupying a former cinema, Galleria Continua established itself and thrived in an entirely unexpected location in San Gimignano steeped in history, timeless and magnificent. Today Galleria Continua’s has spaces  in: San Gimignano, Beijing, Les Moulins, Habana, Roma, São Paulo, Dubai and two spaces in Paris (Marais & Matignon)

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Galleria Continua Archive

In 2015 GALLERIA CONTINUA became the first international contemporary art gallery to establish a permanent presence in Cuba and made Cuban Artists known in the world. A decade later, the gallery celebrates this pioneering chapter with “La Capacidad de Soñar” (The Ability to Dream), a major group exhibition featuring 40 Cuban artists. A standout moment in Galleria Continua’s history in Cuba took place on 16/12/2014, when Michelangelo Pistoletto enacted his iconic symbol of the “Third Paradise” on the sea off the coast of Havana. The performance, organized in collaboration Laura Salas Redondo, Kcho and the fishermen of Havana, was a poetic gesture symbolizing renewal and balance between nature and society. The very next day, on December 17/12/2014, the governments of Cuba and the United States announced the historic resumption of diplomatic relations after more than five decades of tension. This powerful coincidence underscored the gallery’s commitment to fostering dialogue through contemporary art and confirmed the necessity of establishing a long-term presence in Cuba to continue promoting cross-cultural understanding and engagement. During the 12th Havana Biennial (May 2015), Galleria Continua took over the Águila de Oro, a former 1940s cinema located in the heart of Havana’s Chinatown, to present Perimetro, a site-specific artwork by Daniel Buren. Later that year Galleria Continua formalized its presence in Cuba in that same space under the name Arte CONTINUA Habana. The first exhibition, “Anclados en el Territorio”, opened on 27/121/015, and featured six Cuban artists, Alejandro Campins, Elizabet Cerviño, Carlos Garaicoa, Susana Pilar, Reynier Leyva Novo and José Yaque. Each artist explored  and responded to the site’s layered history— its architecture, its past as a cinema, its location in Chinatown, and its broader Cuban context—through new commissions and research- based artistic interventions. By transforming this historic site into a hub for contemporary art, Galleria Continua reaffirmed its mission to bridge cultural legacies – as it has done across its eight spaces worldwide – fostering a dialogue between Cuba’s rich cultural heritage. For ten years, the galleryhas played a significant role in introducing Cuban artists to international audiences and bringing global artists to Cuba. Notable highlights from 2016 include Anish Kapoor’s solo exhibition at the gallery space, Michelangelo Pistoletto’s major solo show at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and an exhibition by Jannis Kounellis at the Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Centre. From this time, Arte CONTINUA Habana has hosted numerous significant exhibitions, enriching a common vision between Cuban and international artists including Chen Zhen, Hans Op de Beeck, Zhanna Kadyrova, Jorge Macchi, Pascale Marthine Tayou, and Julio Le Parc, among others – alongside a vibrant community of talented Cuban artists whom we are now proud to celebrate. The gallery represents a number of Cuban artists, beginning with Carlos Garaicoa, who has played a pivotal role in fostering cultural exchange through his Artista x Artista program, which facilitates residencies and cultural exchanges between Cuban and international artists. Over time, the gallery has expanded its local roster to include artists who have achieved worldwide recognition, such as Alejandro Campins, Yoan Capote, Iván Capote, Elizabet Cerviño, Osvaldo González, José Mesías, Luis López-Chávez, Susana Pilar, and José Yaque. Beyond exhibitions, GALLERIA CONTINUA also worked extensively in public spaces with projects such as Daniel Buren’s “Promenades à La Havane” — a series of site-specific interventions installed on doors and throughout the streets of the city — and JR’s “GIANTS”, “Alain” and ephemeral public installation, which transformed the side wall of the gallery into a vibrant work of art during 13th Havana Biennial (April 2019). The gallery also promotes educational initiatives, offering workshops, conferences, and performances that engage both local and international communities. These programs aim to use art as a non-verbal language to bridge cultural divides and foster intercultural understanding. To celebrate its enduring presence and deep commitment to Cuba, the gallery presents a group exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of its Havana space. The show brings together 40 Cuban artists—emerging and established, from both on and off the island— with whom the gallery has collaborated over the past decade. The exhibition continues a narrative developed across the gallery’ spaces around the world through various chapters of “The Ability to Dream”.

Participating Artists: Juan Carlos Alom, Balada Tropical, Abel Barroso, Alejandro Campins, Yoan Capote, Iván Capote, Celia & Yunior, Laura Carralero, Yaima Carrazana, Elizabet Cerviño, Gabriel Cisneros, Ariamna Contino, Raúl Cordero, Arlés del Río, Susana Pilar Delahante, Jenny Feal, Leandro Feal, Joaquín Ferrer, Diana Fonseca, Carlos Garaicoa, Rocío García, Flavio Garciandía, Alejandro González, Osvaldo González, Álex Hernández, Orestes Hernández, Reynier Leyva Novo, Luis López Chávez, Carlos Martiel, Yornel Martínez, José Mesías, Yanelis Mora, Michel Pérez Pollo, Eduardo Ponjuán, Wilfredo Prieto, Ángel Ricardo Ríos, René Francisco Rodríguez, Lázaro Saavedra and José Yaque.

Photo: Michelangelo Pistoletto – Terzo Paradiso: Cuba, Havana – December 16, 2014, performance in collaboration with Kcho and Laura Salas Redondo, Photo Paola Martinez Fiterre & Alejandro Mesa Crespo

Info: Galleria Continua, Rayo 108 / Zanja y Dragones, Chinatown, Centro Habana, La Habana, Cuba, Duration: 17/5-19/7/2025, Days & Hours: Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, www.galleriacontinua.com/