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In this episode of Art and Processes, host Emeka Okereke sits down with renowned Cuban contemporary artist Alexandre Arrechea. Born in Trinidad de Cuba—a UNESCO World Heritage Site steeped in colonial history—Arrechea’s work explores themes of power, surveillance, architecture, and public engagement. From his early days painting trucks for his uncle to co-founding the influential collective Los Carpinteros, and later forging a distinguished solo career, Arrechea’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of art.

The conversation spans his upbringing in Cuba, the robust educational system that shaped his worldview, and how his multidisciplinary practice—encompassing sculpture, installation, video, painting, and performance—continually challenges conventional notions of form and function. Arrechea also shares insights into collaborations with institutions such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and discusses monumental public works like No Limits on Park Avenue, New York, and the Hexagon Garden created for Balmain. He further reflects on earlier works such as White Corner (2006) and The Garden of Mistrust (2006), unpacking how they exemplify his approach to context-specific art-making.

Employing the emotive lure of anecdotes, Arrechea takes us down memory lane, weaving an intertwining arc of a life of creative explorations that began as early as the age of 11 and continues to this day—a life that has come to mean, for him, a learning curve that never stops, driven by an ever-burning urge to expand language and correlate contexts across places and people. In one of his most striking interventions, he asked: “How can we turn straight lines into curved lines?” This question signals the subtle yet consistent quality of malleability that undergirds much of his artistic proposals. It is his way of bringing sensitivity, play, and humanness into the often heavy-handed world of sharp edges, fixed forms, and solid surfaces—hallmarks of structural integrity.

Thus, listeners are invited into the nuanced thinking behind his practice—how it bridges personal and collective narratives, navigates sociopolitical tension, and partakes in the synthesis of the “I” and the “we,” the subjective and the collective—while positioning art as a tool for healing, dialogue, connection, and meaning-making.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. Early Influences: Growing up in Trinidad de Cuba, the impact of colonial architecture, and the familial environment that nurtured his artistic curiosity.
2. Artistic Education: The rigorous Cuban art school system, mentorship under René Francisco, and the formative years of his collective, Los Carpinteros.
3. Public Art & Architecture: The philosophies underpinning works like No Limits (Park Avenue) and Orange Functional (a basketball hoop tree), which invite public interaction and subvert structural hegemony.
4. Collaborations: Designing sets for Black Sabbath: The Ballet and fusing rock culture with classical dance.
5. Decolonizing Practice: How Arrechea’s work reconciles contradiction, integrates the “I” and the “we,” and fosters cross-cultural dialogue.
6. Art as Healing: The role of art in restorin

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Hi, amazing listeners! Emeka Okereke here. I am the founder and host of this show. If you’ve enjoyed the stories, insights, and creativity we bring to this podcast series, I invite you to join my Patreon community at patreon.com/EmekaOkereke. 🎉