Cuban Performance Art emerged as a significant movement in the mid-1970s and especially the 1980s, providing a socially engaged language for artists in post-Revolutionary Cuba. Distinctly shaped by the nation's unique political climate, it offered artists a powerful creative outlet to communicate complex ideas and critique their context.
Key early developments included the first recorded student performances at Havana's National School of Art in 1976, followed by an artist-run gallery show in Cienfuegos in 1979 featuring artists like José Bedia, and a dedicated festival in Havana in 1980. A pivotal moment arrived with the 1981 Volume I exhibition at the International Art Center in Old Havana, curated by Gerardo Mosquera, marking the first formal survey of performance art in a traditional space and attracting considerable public attention.
The scene also benefited from international influences, as artists like Ana Mendieta and Luis Camnitzer, living abroad, helped introduce new concepts after 1981. Mendieta's incorporation of nature and Afro-Cuban rituals, in particular, profoundly impacted artists on the island. This dynamic art form created an everlasting impact on Cuban society and continues to resonate with artists both within Cuba and among the Cuban diaspora.