Ten years ago a contemporary Italian art gallery boldly opened its doors in Havana, Cuba. Galleria Continua would become the first international contemporary art gallery to establish a permanent presence in Cuba. And a decade later that landmark gallery is still going strong working not only to bring contemporary art to Cuba but Cuban artists to the rest of the world through Galleria Continua’s myriad venues. The gallery is currently celebrating this milestone with a group exhibition in Havana fittingly entitled The Ability to Dream on until July 17th. This 10th anniversary comes in on the heels of the gallery’s 15th anniversary in Beijing and its upcoming 35th anniversary celebrations in September in the gallery’s founding site in San Gimignano, Italy. Galleria Continua is committed to building bridges across cultures and ages though contemporary art. The gallery notably brought the installation works of Daniel Buren and performance works by Michelangelo Pistoletto to the island.

Work by Alejandro Campins in the group show The Ability to Dream celebrating the 10th anniversary of Galleria Continua’s presence in Havana, Cuba. Photo Linét Sanchez. Courtesy Galleria Continua. Handout via The Gourmet Gazette

« The driving ideal behind our gallery is that art, like the wind, should not be stopped by borders. If this were just a statement or a general principle, we wouldn’t have settled in Cuba. The kind of work that defines Galleria Continua – both on and off the island – is participatory, inclusive, generous, and extraordinary in its love for art and its commitment to overcoming boundaries. These are values we have found, cherished, and shared with the Cuban people, » explain
Mario Cristiani, Lorenzo Fiaschi and Maurizio Rigillo, the founders of Galleria Continua

Galleria Continua was founded in 1990 by Mario Cristiani, Lorenzo Fiaschi and Maurizio Rigillo in the magnificent and timeless Italian city of San Gimignano. It aims, as its name implies, to give continuity to contemporary art in a landscape rich in signs of ancient art. Other locations followed including Beijing, Havana, Rome and Paris which opened in the historic Marais district in 2021. The Galleria Continua in the Marais is more than just a beautiful exhibition space. There is a book store and a place for enjoying beverages, light meals, snacks and award-winning Italian ice-cream. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. Open Tuesday to Saturday 11am until 7pm and by appointment. 87 rue du Temple, 75003, Paris, France, +33 (0) 1 43 70 00 88.

Galleria Continua / Habana Rayo 108 / Zanja y Dragones, Chinatown, Centro Habana, La Habana, Cuba. +53 553 556 44.
https://www.galleriacontinua.com/