A first in Argentina, MALBA [Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires] presents an exhibition dedicated to Cuban artist Belkis Ayón, who died in 1999 at age 32. The exhibition, “Belkis Ayón: Mito y desobediencia” [Belkis Ayón: Myth and Disobedience] opened on July 16, 2026, and will remain on view until October 12, 2026. As Noticias Argentinas (NA) reports, the show gathers seven of the most iconic works by the artist, reviewing her legacy and her perspectives on the Abakuá myth.
The Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires [Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA)] will inaugurate the exhibition “Belkis Ayón: Mito y desobediencia” [. . .] This is the first exhibition in an Argentine institution dedicated to the renowned Cuban artist and printmaker, whose work revolutionized contemporary printmaking through the collagraphy technique and a profound exploration of Afro-Cuban mythology.
The exhibition will be on view from July 17 to October 12 in Gallery 1 on the 1st floor of the museum. It will feature seven works created between 1991 and 1998, from the MALBA-Costantini Collection. [. . .]
The exhibition offers approaches to a key period in the work of Ayón (Havana, 1967–1999) marked by the presence of Sikán, a central figure in the founding myth of the Abakuá Secret Society, a male brotherhood of African origin established in Cuba during the 19th century.
From this orally transmitted narrative, the artist constructed a visual universe that questioned the patriarchal order of the brotherhood and transformed printmaking into a tool of resistance against censorship, exclusion, and the social tensions that gripped Cuba during the crisis of the 1990s.
Her work is distinguished by her use of collagraphy, a technique based on matrices constructed from collages of materials that allowed her to develop complex printing surfaces with a rich variety of textures, primarily using a palette of blacks, whites, and grays.
Ayón’s interest in African-derived spirituality arose during her studies at the San Alejandro Academy in Havana, spurred by her reading of El monte, by Cuban anthropologist Lidia Cabrera, a fundamental reference for her research on Afro-Cuban religions.
In addition to her artistic production, in 1996 Ayón launched the project La Huella Múltiple [which may be translated as the multiple imprint, the multiple print, footprint, or fingerprint, etc.] along with Sandra Ramos, Abel Barroso, and Ibrahim Miranda, with the goal of expanding the boundaries of printmaking by incorporating new techniques, supports, and artists. [. . .]
Excerpts translated by Ivette Romero. For full article (in Spanish), see https://noticiasargentinas.com/cultura/el-malba-presenta-por-primera-vez-en-argentina-una-exposicion-dedicada-a-belkis-ayon_a6a46748ed35c29fedf9943ef? A
For more information on the exhibition, go to https://malba.org.ar/evento/belkis-ayon-mito-y-desobediencia/
[Shown above, details from Ayón’s “La cena,” 1993. Constantini Collection.]
A first in Argentina, MALBA [Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires] presents an exhibition dedicated to Cuban artist Belkis Ayón, who died in 1999 at age 32. The exhibition, “Belkis Ayón: Mito y desobediencia” [Belkis Ayón: Myth and Disobedience] opened on July 16, 2026, and will remain on view until October 12, 2026. As
