Navigating the Waves: Contemporary Cuban Photography Through August 3, 2025
Lissette Solórzano, from the series Malecón, 2004, inkjet print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Madeleine P. Plonsker Collection, gift of Madeleine and Harvey Plonsker. © Lissette Solórzano
Alberto Korda, Heroic Guerrilla (Guerillero heroico), 1960, printed 1995, gelatin silver print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, museum purchase funded by Dan and Mary Solomon. © Estate Alberto Korda
Osvaldo Salas, Five Points of Fidel (Cinco puntos de Fidel), 1982, gelatin silver print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift of the estate of Esther Parada. © 1982 Osvaldo Salas
Gory (Rogelio López Marin), from the series It’s Only Water in the Teardrop of a Stranger (Es sólo agua en la lágrima de un extraño), 1986, printed 2023, chromogenic print, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, museum purchase funded by the Photography Subcommittee.
Navigating the Waves: Contemporary Cuban Photography traces the evolution of photography in Cuba from the 1960s to the 2010s.
The exhibition looks at contemporary Cuban photography from its role in promoting the Cuban Revolution after Fidel Castro’s 1959 overthrow of the Batista government to engaging in social and political critique following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. In subsequent years, Cuban photographers created powerful personal expressions by exploring individual identity, the body and spirit, Afro-Cuban heritage, and the margins of society, all while navigating the changing prescriptions and proscriptions of official cultural policy.
Showcasing 100 images, Navigating the Waves: Contemporary Cuban Photography celebrates the Museum's acquisition of some 300 photographs from Chicago-based collectors Madeleine and Harvey Plonsker.
► Publication
The illustrated exhibition catalogue is available through the MFA Shop (713.639.7360) and the Museum’s Hirsch Library (713.639.7325).
Ready to Visit?
Member and ALL ACCESS tickets include same-day admission to this exhibition, all Special Exhibitions, and the MFAH Permanent Collections. On Thursday, entry to this exhibition is included with a ticket to the Permanent Collections.
Get Your TicketNavigating the Waves: Contemporary Cuban Photography / September 29, 2024–August 3, 2025
“Navigating the Waves: Contemporary Cuban Photography” is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Major support is provided by:
Madeleine and Harvey Plonsker
Additional generous support is provided by:
Mary and Bernardino Arocha
Carolyn Covault
Patricia J. Eifel and James A. Belli
Linda and George Kelly