Daniela Águila: Cuban painting in Monaco for the first time
Cuban artist Daniela Águila is showing a solo exhibition in Monaco for the first time. From 8 June, Private Gallery is hosting the exhibition «Rêveries et Mémoires» — paintings in which the classical subjects of European painting are reinterpreted through a female gaze.
Cuba on the Côte d’Azur: a new chapter in cultural dialogue
The exhibition curator Andrea Pastore has long worked with Cuban art: in 2011–2012 she curated shows of Cuban artists at the Brussels branches of BNP Paribas Fortis. Now her project has brought Daniela Águila to Monaco — a native of Havana, a graduate of the San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts and the Higher Institute of Art (ISA), whose work was previously known only to a narrow circle of connoisseurs in Cuba and in select European galleries.
The exhibition «Rêveries et Mémoires» opened at Private Gallery and will run until 25 September.
A gaze through the centuries: from Fragonard to Bonnard
Águila’s works are pop art with a deep cultural subtext. The artist takes as a basis famous paintings by Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Pierre Bonnard and reinterprets them, placing female figures in a contemporary, feminist context — this is how the exhibition curator interprets her method.
Among Águila’s earlier works is the series «Retratos Invisibles» (“Invisible Portraits”, 2023), in which the artist also explores themes of identity, gender and racial representation.
A space for dialogue with the viewer
Private Gallery in Monaco is not a museum in the usual sense, but a private space open to artists at various stages of recognition: from emerging ones to those known on the international stage. Alongside larger venues, such as Grimaldi Forum, intimate galleries like this provide a platform for new names, including those coming from outside Europe.
Practical information: how to see the exhibition
The exhibition «Rêveries et Mémoires» is open to the public until 25 September.
- Address: Private Gallery, 10 Boulevard Princesse Charlotte, Monaco
- Phone for schedule enquiries: +377 92 05 23 21
Private Gallery is a short walk from the casino and the Hôtel de Paris, in the very centre of the principality — Monaco is about half an hour from Nice by bus or train.
Cultural context: Cuban art on the international stage
Águila’s exhibition is part of a broader process: Cuban artists are increasingly gaining recognition beyond the island. Manuel Mendive is known for Afro-Cuban motifs, and Mariano Rodríguez is regarded as a classic of the national painting school; Águila continues this line, adding a pop-art aesthetic and a gendered perspective.
Similar processes are underway in other towns in the region: for example, the cultural centre in Biot, after its renovation, has also opened a space for new names in the arts. For Russian-speaking residents of the Côte d’Azur, the exhibition at Private Gallery is an opportunity to make a cultural outing to Monaco and combine it with a stroll around the principality.
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Photo: Tahir Xəlfəquliyev / Pexels