Concrete Cuba: David Zwirner

You might imagine that the art scene in Cuba during the 20th century was totally curtailed by the country's conflict-ridden politics, but in fact it was home to a major group of artists. Los Diez Pintores Concretos, or the Ten Concrete Painters, were active from 1959 to 1961 and exerted a formidable influence on the development of Cuban concretism. David Zwirner gets to grips with the thrilling group in a brand new exhibition.

Who were Los Diez Pintores Concretos?

Members of this dynamic group were all affected by the political and social changes that raged through Cuba during the 1950s. A military coup in 1952 led by the previous President, Fulgencio Batista, provoked rising nationalist sentiment, which was further fuelled by the increasing import of material goods and tourism from the U.S. 

The hard-edged, geometric abstract works of Los Diez mirrored contemporary movements like Neo-Plasticism, Constructivism and post-Cubism, but ultimately the group created a unique visual language that could express their political ideas beyond the control of Batista’s regime.

This new show at David Zwirner is a chance to learn more about this small, but potent movement during a fascinating time in Cuban history before the revolution of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.