The Cuban artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara was briefly detained again by state authorities on Tuesday, along with his partner, art historian and curator Yanelys Nuñez Leyva, Diario de Cuba reports.
The two were detained after filing a complaint over the search of Alcántara’s home and studio when he was arrested earlier this month. At that time, Alcántara was accused of being in illicit possession of construction materials. He was released on bail following three days of detainment, an online petition spearheaded by artist Tania Bruguera that garnered nearly 500 signatures, and a three-day hunger strike. An official date has yet to be set for the illicit possession trial.
Alcantará is the organizer, with Leyva, of the #00bienal de La Habana, an alternative Havana Biennial they announced after the official exhibition was postponed (due to damage from Hurricane Irene, according to the official announcement). When released after his previous arrest this month, Alcantará stated that the alternative biennial would go on as planned. His initial arrest came hours before a scheduled press conference announcing the biennial; Alcantará and Leyva rescheduled and held the conference announcing the biennial on November 19, Leyva reported on her Facebook page. The call for entries for the first #00bienal de La Habana is now open.
