19 Mar 2023
An award-winning documentary about Cuba's ambitious National Art Schools project, designed by three young artists in the wake of Castro's Revolution, is neglected, nearly forgotten, then ultimately rediscovered as a visionary architectural masterpiece.
In 1961, three young, visionary architects were commissioned by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara to create Cuba's National Art Schools on the grounds of a former golf course in Havana, Cuba. Construction of their radical designs began immediately and the school's first classes soon followed. Dancers, musicians and artists from all over the country reveled in the beauty of the schools, but as the dream of the Revolution quickly became a reality, construction was abruptly halted and the architects and their designs were deemed irrelevant in the prevailing political climate. Forty years later the schools are in use, but remain unfinished and decaying. Castro has invited the exiled architects back to finish their unrealized dream.
Unfinished Spaces features never-before-seen footage of Fidel Castro, showing his devotion to creating a worldwide showcase for art, and it also documents the struggle and passion of three revolutionary artists.
In 1959, the Cuban Revolution drew to a close, with Fidel Castro taking the reins as the nation's prime minister. This marked a time of reflection on past practices and the exploration of new ways of life for Cuba.
In a spirit of transformation and innovation, Castro commissioned the services of three architects, namely Ricardo Porro, Roberto Gottardi, and Vittorio Garatti, to construct an art school on the grounds of a former golf course.
The 2011 documentary "Unfinished Spaces," created by Alysa Nahmias and Benjamin Murray, unfolds the narrative of this art school, highlighting its achievements and setbacks while serving as a mirror for the successes and failures of Castro's regime. In another, albeit smaller educational institution devoted to the arts, the Ives Main Library on Elm Street collaborated with the Yale Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library to present the film to the New Haven community. This was part of a month-long film series dedicated to art and protest.
One of the viewers, Sandra Rux, commended the Beinecke's recent community engagement efforts. She was one of five people gathered at the library, eagerly anticipating a story about one of Cuba's greatest unfinished landmarks and its historical context. In front of them unfolded a narrative encompassing politics, community, and the influence of creativity.
In the words of Ricardo Porro, shared during one of the documentary's interviews, "I contributed to the revolution, but in a subtle way." He further elaborated that he fought with ideas rather than weapons or tanks, with the idea being to create a sanctuary for the arts through five distinct schools: modern dance, plastic arts (designed by Porro), ballet, music (designed by Garatti), and theater (designed by Gottardi).
Dorian Dean, who had just recently moved to New Haven, attended the screening. Drawn in by the posters scattered around town and the promise of a story exploring art within a broader cultural context, Dean noted, "Art and activism are something I'm genuinely passionate about as an artist." The exploration that spanned a month was particularly intriguing.
The Art School embodied the fusion of art and activism. From 1961 to 1965, the three architects undertook the design and construction of these schools. Due to the U.S. embargo, Cuban materials like clay and brick were used. Student volunteers were enlisted to assist in the construction, imbuing the process with enthusiasm and optimism, as recalled by one interviewee who described the long days filled with labor and cheer set to the rhythm of drumbeats and student contributions.
Porro, Gottardi, and Garatti aimed to make the school a reflection of the Cuba they experienced. Vittorio Garatti emphasized that it had to embody complete freedom, recalling the open boundaries that allowed the schools to blend into each other, forming a single, multifaceted entity. Purro designed the School of Plastic Arts to resemble a fertility goddess and the entrance of the School of Modern Dance to convey an explosion. He noted that it expressed a different sentiment he felt at the time, a fear that something might transpire.
In 1961, following the Bay of Pigs, Castro's focus shifted towards the Soviet way of life, leading to the suspension of "non-productive" construction, including the unfinished Art School. Despite this setback, Purro's schools remained. Castro's move toward Soviet architecture, prefabricated buildings, and the perception of architecture as bourgeois culminated in this decision. The classes continued, but the three main architects left their roles. Purro departed for Paris when he realized he would be expected to create Soviet-style architecture, Gottardi was assigned to a construction site, and Garatti faced accusations of espionage, which led to his imprisonment and subsequent expulsion to Milan.
The most poignant and moving section of the documentary portrays the Art School's decline. Overrun by plant growth, floods, and squatters, it turned into a contemporary ruin, symbolizing the unfulfilled aspirations of the Castro era. Dorian Dean reflected, "It was fascinating, the idea of such uncensored passion, a vision of collaborative creation." However, censorship subsequently stifled the art and extinguished far more than just the school itself. What was once a celebration of creativity transformed into a ghostly reminder of what could have been.
Garatti expressed his hope to meet Fidel and discuss the need for an open system, emphasizing that a closed system ultimately withers. The Art School faced its demise, but those who believed in its vision aimed to resurrect it. In 2008, following a period during which the World Monument Fund attempted to save the school but was thwarted by the U.S. embargo, Castro himself rekindled the project.
A team initiated the restoration of Purro's schools and planned to complete Gottardi and Garatti's sections, integrating modern architecture to convey the complete historical narrative of the buildings. Regrettably, Cuba ceased funding once more in 2009.
In 2008, Purro, gesturing around at the buildings, students, and their artwork, remarked, "I gave birth with this architecture." These elements were the fruits of his labor.
"Unfinished Spaces" serves as a tribute to art as a representation of a people, place, and time. The Art School, in all its glory and decay, symbolizes a turbulent period of Cuban history. By bringing its story to a New Haven audience, the Ives Main Library and the Beineke opened up a new, entertaining way to learn about the past and engage in the present. As the screening ended, several audience members whipped out their phones to Google the current status of the Art School. So far as they were concerned, the story wasn’t over yet.
Explore the captivating journey here: https://www.unfinishedspaces.com/