We’re back at the artistic laboratory. This time to show you everything behind this project. A "gallery" quite different from what we’re used to. A reality that even its creators didn’t imagine.
If you want more about the Lab Read here
The Eye of the Cyclone (literally translated) is located at O'Reilly #501, corner of Villegas (one block from the famous Boulevard de Obispo).
The Eye of the Cyclone
When we were welcomed by the creator, we still didn’t know he was the artist Leo D'Lazaro, a renowned sculptor in the city whose works adorn various places.
Of course, the first question was, Why that name?
According to the author, the name came naturally from the very concept of the gallery.
The place would become his refuge from the outside world -the calm in the storm- The more he isolated himself from the world, the more freedom he had for his creativity.
It was the calm we all needed, yet it was situated in the bustling life of the Boulevard of Havana.
How it transitioned from a gallery or creation center to an artistic laboratory is more of the same.
Twenty years ago, when the idea emerged, the artist would be the only one to kick off the place. Over time, other artists and disciples joined in. The Eye of the Cyclone would become more than just a gallery.
Several creative minds came together. All kinds of art were born here. Not only paintings were created; as you can see in some photos, there are even customized suitcases.
While they were thinking about how to rename the place, they decided to call it a laboratory. If we think about it for a moment, it fits perfectly.
According to the artist, many works are born from the experimentation of artists. Where do experiments happen? In a laboratory. Eureka!
Social Projects
“Art in the Neighborhood” is the motto of the laboratory. That’s why several projects are based here.
The most famous is TangueArte. According to what we were told, it aims to connect Havana and Argentina through this sensual dance. For days, throughout Havana and outdoors, workshops are held where classes and demonstrations by the “students” involved in the project take place.
Another project we really liked introduces neighborhood children to the visual arts. Since the laboratory has been around for over 20 years, some of the first children are now visual artists showcasing their beginnings in the space.
It’s a story we loved. The area where the laboratory is located is not one of the best in the city (despite tourism). For a child to come off the street and follow the path to become a visual artist is not just a story of motivation/survival; it’s the essence of The Eye of the Cyclone itself.
This piece you see next is the latest creation by Leo D'Lazaro. It’s a tribute to the laboratory. Don’t ask me about the technique; we asked and were told it’s the house style.
What we can see is that it illustrates several important moments of the laboratory, as well as the people and projects that have earned it a place among locals and foreign visitors.
Our Experience
We went to the venue on the recommendation of some friends. Our expectations weren’t very high. We thought we would find a regular gallery.
As we stood at the door, we realized that the word “normal” doesn’t exist here.
We entered, meaning we changed worlds and allowed ourselves to be surprised. We liked that no one interrupted us; we were free to explore as we wished.
When we were already surprised and didn’t know if we were on Earth or in the mind of the artist, the artist arrived to surprise us even more.
We chatted, and they seated us. Unfortunately, we couldn’t have a coffee due to the lack of powder in our country (next time we agreed to bring it ourselves).
We decided to play a little Jenga with a friend of Leo’s, and the hours flew by. It was an experience we could call “illuminating.”
Today, art tends to lean towards the abstract and minimalistic. In this laboratory, it’s the opposite. Everyday objects are used. Reality is distorted; what is established is challenged. Even the problems Cuba faces are transformed into art here.
For me, it was impossible to choose a favorite piece or a preferred section. My girlfriend, however, was clear: “Wherever the cat is, that’s my favorite piece,” she said.
Details
Above, I’ve provided the exact address of the place.
Entry is FREE, and taking photos is more than allowed.
We tried to leave a small economic contribution, but they firmly declined (we believe it was because, being nationals, they didn’t want to accept it due to the situation in Cuba).
I recommend that if you go, try to leave some contribution (it doesn’t have to be large); I assure you it will be well utilized.
If you want to see more about this place, look up the artist Leo D'Lazaro on both Instagram and Facebook.
You can contact them via email: [email protected]
Tips: Next door, there’s a café decorated by the artist. If you want to enjoy a coffee and continue enjoying art, you know where to go.
Conclusion
If you want to step away from the touristy spots and get to know the reality of this town, this place is a great start.
You’ll have an incredible time, and I think when you leave, you won’t even know what to say. There’s so much to see, enjoy, savor, and above all, think about. More than recommend...
Read you soon
[dahpilot]
All images are mine
Congratulations @dahpilot! You received the biggest smile and some love from TravelFeed! Keep up the amazing blog. 😍
Thanks for using TravelFeed!
@for91days (TravelFeed team)
PS: Did you know that we launched the truvvl app? With truvvl, you can create travel stories on the go from your phone and swipe through nearby stories from other TravelFeed users. It is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Thank team 💚
I was delighted to learn more about this Laboratory, its link with the reality of Cuba and with the children of the neighborhood. It seems to me that it is not only a set of art pieces or artists, it is an Idea come true, or if you want to call it a dream, it is the dream of an artist come true.
Thank you very much for this tour @dahpilot.
I made this post specially for you my friend 😉
I leave this photo , waiting for your comment
The first thing is to tell you that I hope you are well and that your family and the people you love are well at this moment, yesterday I found out that a hurricane was approaching Cuba
and I'm already going with the photo, I'm in a moment of somewhat fallen mood (nothing worrying), so what I can see in that creation will not be apart of how I feel now.
And I will be brief, the image speaks to me of duels already completed. Of people who are gone but remain in our hearts.
Thank you @dahpilot, and a big hug.
My friend, I don’t even have words anymore. I had scheduled content and I removed it; this is really stressful. The hurricane didn’t hit us too hard on my side of the city, just a few fallen trees, but there was a new widespread blackout. In many areas, there’s already electricity, but in my house, we’ve been without power for over 72 hours. I guess we’re just surviving
Read your words mean a lot 🙏🏻 Thank for having me in your thoughts
Glad to hear you are doing well, and that the situation is getting back to normal. A big hug @dahpilot.
You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.
Congratulations, your post has been added to the TravelFeed Map! 🎉🥳🌴
Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!
Want to have your post on the map too?
- Go to TravelFeed Map
- Click the create pin button
- Drag the marker to where your post should be. Zoom in if needed or use the search bar (top right).
- Copy and paste the generated code in your post (any Hive frontend)
- Or login with Hive Keychain or Hivesigner and click "create post" to post to Hive directly from TravelFeed
- Congrats, your post is now on the map!
PS: You can import your previous Pinmapple posts to the TravelFeed map.Opt Out
Hello! Thank you very much for posting in the Worldmappin Community 😃.
We noticed that you included more than one PIN code in the post. This is not necessary and can lead to double pinning. If you are writing about a trip with different points of interest, it is advisable to indicate only one PIN of the most important place or central location.
Double pinning can lead to problems for our curation, so if you keep doing it we can not guarantee you to be considered for our daily Travel Digest.
We recommend that you obtain the code either from https://worldmappin.com/, or by selecting the location directly on the small map at the bottom of the text editor in the PeakD interface.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our team on our Discord channel.
Cheers!
Congratulations @dahpilot! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)
Your next target is to reach 19000 upvotes.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCheck out our last posts:
@dahpilot, I paid out 0.237 HIVE and 0.046 HBD to reward 2 comments in this discussion thread.