La Marca Body Art and Gallery is perhaps one of the most known galleries in Havana. It’s run by Leo Canosa and his wife Ailed. Leo is both an artist and a talented tattoo artist who runs this alternative cultural gallery. La Marca is the first legal tattoo studio in Havana as well as one of the best places to find the new works of upcoming artists in Cuba. La Marca is centrally located in Old Havana at Obrapía 108C, between Oficios and Mercaderes.
The Gallery celebrated its second anniversary “MarcaDos Ciclo – Second Anniversary Exhibit,” with the opening of the exhibition “Remanga & Son” last Friday, February 3.
Many predicted that La Marca would not last, but two years later, against the forecasts, La Marca is still going strong as a cultural force in Havana. They decided to celebrate, in the usual way, with an exhibition cycle of the year related to their passion and reason for being as studio: the tattoo.
This is the reason the Gallery has decided to begin their third year with the exhibition “Remanga & Son.” Remanga & Son is an event whereby tattoo artists and designers are present, on various supports, graphic works as “sleeves” (shoulder, arm and forearm in the language of tattooists), in synergy with illustration and, above all, with design. The anniversary celebration is showcasing the “sleeves,” to the rhythm of DJ Gabo.
In addition to “Remanga & Son,” the cycle will include, as always, presentations of other artists returning to the gallery space or linked to La Marca for the first time. Other exhibits included in the second anniversary celebration include: - “The Most Wanted, ” a performance art piece to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the living statue, “The Pistolero.”
Other exhibits also on the schedule for the MarcaDos Ciclo second anniversary celebration is the inauguration of “Dystopia Memoria,” a personal exhibition of the French artist Anais Pradal, and guest tattoo artist. The sound exhibition “Ports” by Raymel Casamayor, as part of the event “Voces Itinerantes,” organized by the Leo Brower Office is also present. DJ Jigüe and Iran “El Menor” will also be presenting an experimental sound intervention. Guampara Music also takes part in the anniversary project.
La Marca Body Art and Gallery will be offering workshops and activities for children and teens. Tattoos are also available at the Gallery.
Ailed and her husband are co-founders of La Marca Gallery in Havana. At La Marca, she is responsible for the communication and management of socio-cultural projects. Ailed graduated from the University of Havana in Social Communication. She also works as a Specialist in Communication at the Office of the Historian of Havana.