MADRID, Spain.- This Thursday, September 12, Madrid will be the stage for the inauguration of “Luminol,” the most recent exhibition by the Cuban artist Lorena Gutierrez CamejoThe exhibition will be on San Lorenzo Street 3, in the temporary space of @panamericanartprojects, in the context of the prestigious Apertura Madrid Gallery Weekend. This event, which marks the beginning of the artistic season in the Spanish capital, is a key platform for artists and galleries from around the world, attracting both experts and a general public eager for contemporary art.
The exhibition “Luminol”, curated by Aylet Ojeda, explores Cuba’s recent history through a critical lens, using abstract painting and installation as fundamental artistic languages. The title of the exhibition alludes to the chemical reagent luminol, known for revealing invisible traces at crime scenes, a metaphor that Gutiérrez uses to illuminate the processes of invisibility and repression in Cuban history. The exhibition is presented as a way of revealing the hidden and, in the words of the artist, seeks to expose the “crime scene” of History, casting a critical eye on the Island’s past and present.
Among the most outstanding works of the exhibition is Black Pentagram (Concerto for Many Hands), a series of thirteen paintings dedicated to censored Cuban musicians, such as Celia Cruz and The Lupe. The series is based on the covers of suspense books that circulated in Cuba during the Gray Quinquennium. Through abstract and geometric elements, Gutiérrez recreates the feeling of alienation suffered by those who were silenced by the regime.
Another important piece is Slavic aromas returnwhich revives the perfume “Red Moscow”, a symbol of the Cold War. Through this work, Gutiérrez reflects on the resurgence of the influence Russian policy in Cubausing perfume as a metaphor for the return of old ideologies and political alliances that still mark Cuban reality.
The opening of “Luminol” will also feature a musical performance by Tommy Meini, musicologist, and Arianna Mackenzie, clarinetist and saxophonist, who will present a collaboration inspired by the works on display.
Lorena Gutiérrez, a graduate of the Higher Institute of Art in Havana, has exhibited her work in various galleries in Cuba and abroad, and has been featured in media such as The Washington Post, The New York Times and The New HeraldHis work, which has participated in internationally renowned biennials and exhibitions, stands out for its social and political criticism.
The Madrid Gallery Weekend Opening, from 12 to 15 September, and the space where Gutiérrez’s exhibition is being held, is an event that brings together the city’s main galleries and has established itself as one of the most important on the world art circuit, second only to Berlin in terms of the number of visitors.
