Belgium brings cultural exchange proposals to Havana
HAVANA, Oct 31 The 18th Belgian Week in Havana will take place from November 1 to 15 with a variety of activities, from live music to the presence of comics, the Belgian ambassador, Jean-Jacques Bastien, announced here today.
The diplomat highlighted that prominent musicians from his country will participate, who will share with Cuban artists, while the world of comics will be present with Art Nouveau, drawing workshops and technology.
Bastien recalled that Art Nouveau celebrates its 130th anniversary this year and although this artistic movement was born in Europe, in Havana it has exponents that he described as fantastic, as does the cultural heritage of the island in general.
The Belgian ambassador stressed that Cuba is the only country, outside the European continent, belonging to the Art Nouveau network and based on its experience it can contribute a lot in this area.
The person in charge of Cooperation and Culture of the Belgian embassy, Lysbeth Daumont, also told Prensa Latina that the event program includes the visit of several musicians from that European nation, such as Jef Neve, the singer-songwriter Constanza Guzmán and the accordionist Tuur. Florizoone.
He reported that for the first time, a delegation from the Belgian Comics Center will be present on the island, a reference institution in this subject that has its headquarters in an Art Nouveau building related to one of the precursors of this movement in Belgium, the architect Victor Horta.
The director of that prestigious center, Isabelle Debekker, will participate in a panel here and four other contemporary comic artists will also appear in workshops, conferences and exhibitions, Daumont said.
She also announced that during these days of the day, there will be an Art Nouveau night at the Fábrica de Arte Cubano cultural center and the presentation of the magazine Kronicas-The Imaginary Inventory, by Cuban cartoonists.
Daumont highlighted the presence of the Belgian editor Yves Schlirf, who will teach an editing workshop and give a conference dedicated to the impact of Japanese manga on the Franco-Belgian market since he directed one of the publishers that began importing manga to Europe.
The 18th Belgian Week in Havana was presented this Monday at a press conference at the Vitrina de Valonia Cultural Center, located in Old Havana, where more details of the celebration were revealed.
The director of the institution, Haziel Scull, highlighted that in this place, for more than three decades, the culture of Belgium found its home through the promotion of comics, which is the heritage of that country.
He stated that these days, the Wallonia Showcase will organize numerous joint activities between artists from both nations.
This year’s edition coincides with the celebration in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, of the year of Art Nouveau, which is why this is one of its central themes in workshops, exhibitions, concerts and panels, together with music and comics.
