CubaPLUS Magazine

Duvier Del Dago, born in Zulueta, a town deeply rooted in the Parrandas of the central region of Cuba, which have been declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity, believes that his inclination towards the visual arts since he was a child originated in the traditions of the place that saw him arrive in the world.

This creator, dedicated mainly to installation art, believes that the traditions of his homeland were what led him to devote himself to that art form, as a friend of his father was a designer of floats and he practically grew up in that environment, he said in an interview with CubaPLUS Magazine.

“Installations, he noted, are what I feel most comfortable with when it comes to doing my work. I can play with the space and use it as an indissoluble part of the work itself. I can get it involved, give it content and have it, at the same time, contribute to the creation itself.”

Del Dago uses thread to draw lines in space. They cease to be twodimensional strokes and become object lines that transport the drawing to what resembles a hologram, in which ultraviolet lights transform the environment and outline the figure carefully spun by the hands of the creator.

In his series he materializes desires, crystallizes utopias, erects cities, reflects on the human being and his violent nature and, of course, ponders on the national contemporaneity he lives by addressing historical, political and socio-cultural issues.

Undoubtedly, we are dealing with a level of creation that uncovers  the future following the difficult nineties. The artist has found a totally innovative solution to prevent the sculptural installation from perishing in time. He has revolutionized this artistic medium by being a modern and subtle modeler of the lines of his time. Speaking about the importance he places on his exhibitions, he pointed out that his pieces have been exhibited in important visual art biennials, such as Havana, between 2001-2019, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2009 and the Venice Pavilion of Cuba, in 2011.

 His works have also been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions among which stand out: Entelequias, Villa Manuela Gallery,(2024) and Distopía, Máxima Gallery (2023) both in Havana; Open Studio, Atelier Calder, Saché, France (2014) Latitudes, Hôtel de Ville Paris (2009), Latido, a traveling group exhibition through several of the most important museums in Norway, among others.

As a visual artist he has received numerous grants and residencies in international institutions including: Artistic Residency Le Pavillon, Laboratory of artistic creation, Palais de Tokyo, 2006-2007 Edition, Paris; Scholarship for artistic creation from the Museum of Contemporary Art of Castilla y León (MUSAC) Spain, 2007 and Fountainhead Artistic Residency, Miami USA, July-September 2014.

As for awards, he gained the UNESCO Prize for the promotion and development of the visual arts at the 7th Havana Biennial, 2001, as a member of the DUPP Gallery project, for the work 1, 2...3... Probando.

Regarding awards, Del Dago considers that “the most important award for an artist is the acceptance of his work and to see how the spectators consume and accept his work, and how that work can be a reference for future creators. That is the greatest prize an artist can receive.”

 He is currently a professor at the University of the Arts, which he considers a great honor. “To be a professor you have to have talent and a very deep cultural background. I started teaching accidentally and I have used my experience to acquire many elements along the way, which allows me to recommend to my students the best solutions for their work based on my own knowledge,” he said.

For this Cuban creator, the visual arts mean a way of life, a way of interpreting the world and a way of giving back to the world what it can give us. “I think they are a continuous riddle, with which you can do a lot and achieve many things in society. I think being a visual artist is an opportunity to give subsequent generations an interpretation of the world and the context in which it was your lot to live,” he said. “For sure if I were born again I would choose visual arts. I am very happy with what I do,” he said.

Contacts:
Duvier Del Dago Fernández

Tel: +53 5 2462204

Correo: deldagostudio@gmail.com

Facebook: @duvierdeldago Duvier Del_Dago Studio