This series of four articles outlines several aspects to consider when making a Cuban art acquisition. “Legality first” is the opening post, and it approaches the lawfulness of the act. To “Legality first”, will follow “Full-bodied art analysis”, “Reliable art advising”, and “Reach out to the artists”.
Legality first: make sure to proceed following all the criteria set by the involved Cuban institutions to complete the transaction and be lawfully able to bring your purchase with you on your way back to your home country. Although many Cuban art advisors are self-reliant about the legal process and all the documentation needed, it is very much advised to have handy the support of a lawyer who is precisely informed as a legal authority. Cuba Fine Art Box pays special attention to this and therefore issues a Legal Invoice as part of the consulting arrangements and as evidence of compliance with the most up to date legal procedures publications.
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Legal advice in the context of art commercialization, in general, may be tricky. Consider that in Cuba some of the complexities are enhanced due to the Island's regulations tendency to be subject of sudden changes that, unfortunately, the institutions involved many times would not inform in the best diligent manner.
Avoid any sort of illicitness. Don't rush. Make sure that the legal advice is being formulated by the exact competencies. Value inquiring in the lawful aspects of making your visual art acquisition current with the most up to date Cuban legal frame.
Cuba's administrative apparatus might seem archaic, but it can abruptly turn broad and meticulous. Do not proceed if the legal advice is not coming in full clarity or if you have a hint that there is some sort of noncompliance going on. There are exact ways to seek proper legal counseling separate from the plain art advising. Fortunately, you can look for Cuban Lawyers that specialize in cultural affairs and who can certify and validate art purchases in total amenability and with the necessary legal precision.
In this entry we would like to refer collectors interested in Cuban visual arts to the book “To and from Utopia in the New Cuban Art” (available on Amazon), by professor and art expert Rachel Weiss (also co- curator with respected Cuban critic Gerardo Mosquera of “The Nearest Edge of the World: Art and Cuba Now and Global Conceptualism: Points of Origin, 1950- 1980s”, an exhibition that traveled throughout the U.S.). About “To and from Utopia…” Mosquera states that it “(…) is the most important historical publication on the subject, and everyone who reads it will learn about Cuba and what’s more: will live Cuba.". The book can be an excellent and current introduction to anyone interested in Cuban visual arts.
