Feature: Cuban artists showcase national flag in times of change

A unique exhibition of Cuban art is ongoing in the capital, showcasing the country's best-known national symbol, the national flag, in times of deep economic and political change.

"Strength and Blood: Imaginations of the Flag in Cuban Art" gathers 160 works by 124 local artists that reinterpret the country's iconic red, white and blue flag, a powerful image that brings together the island's 11 million people.

"The idea was to bring back the use of our flag in our daily life, because it is an element that unifies Cuban society," exhibit co-curator Virginia Alberdi told Xinhua.

The exhibition, which opened Monday and will run till June 11, portrays the artists' bold and thoughtful perspectives on the iconic flag as the country braces for an unparalleled opening-up to the world, driven by its rapprochement with the United States.

One of the most eye-catching works depicts the flag as a jigsaw puzzle in 3D, highlighting the range of media used, from photographs to sculpture and performing art.

"I painted the flag with deep respect, because it is a symbol that represents the motherland and a symbol that characterizes Cuban society in its diversity throughout time," painter Ever Fonseca said.

The exhibition, organized by the Culture Ministry, also brings together different generations of artists, from young talent to well-known Cuban painters, such as Zaida del Rio, who said it was the first time in her career that she has made the flag her subject.

"I was very excited to participate, because our flag is what represents us around the world and what identifies us," said Del Rio. "I decided to paint the flag surrounded by women freely waving, because that is how we Cuban people are: happy and creative."

Flora Fong, another well-known painter, reflected her Cuban and Chinese roots in her work, which combined an image of the flag with eight red fish, a feng shui symbol of good fortune, strength and power.

Budding artist Daniel Alfonso, who also helped curate the exhibition, stressed the importance of reinforcing cultural identity during Cuba's process of opening-up.

"In these new times and new relations we are experiencing, I believe the exhibition reaffirms us as Cubans and our flag as a symbol of freedom and continued revolution," said Alfonso. Endi