The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has failed to secure loans from the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana for its upcoming Wifredo Lam retrospective, “When I Don’t Sleep, I Dream.” The Havana museum declined to lend works due to fears that artworks entering the United States could be seized by a US court as part of claims by Cuban exiles and others seeking compensation for property confiscated during the Cuban Revolution. The exhibition, curated by MoMA director Christophe Cherix and Latin American art curator Beverly Adams, will feature 150 artworks from the Afro-Cuban Surrealist’s life, including several rediscovered pieces, but without the Cuban museum’s contributions.
This dispute highlights the ongoing impact of US-Cuba political tensions on cultural exchange, particularly after President Trump reinstated Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism in January 2025. The situation underscores the legal and diplomatic hurdles museums face when organizing international exhibitions involving countries under US sanctions, and it may set a precedent for future loan negotiations with Cuban institutions. Despite the setback, MoMA’s curatorial team successfully secured major works from private collectors and made new discoveries about Lam’s techniques and lost artworks.