International school of Arts, Havana
The end of December in Havana was characterized by cold winds and the idea to walk through its rows , streets and enjoy a temperate climate definetely disappeared when we needed to wear a pair of gloves! Roberto arrived at the ex Havana Club, where a stunning architectural complex opened its domes and vaults offering a fantastic Picture through round forms, open spaces, dark-light plays, present all over the National School.
“The School must be finished , I am in the project, one of the many for my “ESCUELA DE ARTE DRAMATICA”, when we started together we were independent in our ideas , we made efforts to recover materials and consequently we worked on a design which respected the organic forms spread over the city and in the island.
We worked night and day to find out a way to overcome the bloqueo and pursuit our aim. We needed concrete, but it was impossible to import it, so we decided to use their local earth for bricks, going back to African and Catalan style we explored a new project, “THE GREAT ACHIEVEMENT”, as it was named then!
Roberto was excited in showing corners, rooms, explaining any part of the artwork, he felt weak , his health was not perfect, but his mind and heart made us see his Cuban dream was still alive!..
“What do you think to do with this now? you say it is not defined yet, could you finish it now?”,
“Could I?…I M U S T, before dying."
“In 1965 the buildings had a pause because of lack of materials and money, we waited and waited..then every now and then something arrived, but it was not sufficient to complete an imposing project as it is, we waited. Cuban people suffered from lack of fundamental goods, foods, means and spaces for living. Little by little some of the protagonists of the great dream left the island to France , Italy , Europe, Vittorio returned to Milan, Ricardo went to Paris..waiting!
“and YOU?” “I couldn’t. I often come to downtown till the Club and walk around the School, my School of Theatre! We worked in the project involving the National schools of contemporary ballet, plastic art, dramatic art, music and dance spread over five pavillions in a ground crossed by a stream inside e wide area of tropical vegetation.
“ How could you define your style?”
“It’s imposSible to define the style now, however it’s a fusion of three expressions taking from the Colonial tradition, African culture and , definetely, MODERNITY.
I M US T finish the work, the bloqueo forced the artists to work for popular housing, these people needed to have dignity in living, and lacking money, priority was given to their daily life, nowI MUST finish my school.
MY art companions left, I stayed. I tought, projected other buildings, always working to complete my pavillion of Dramatic Art, and constantly the trouble was and is money.
We were requested to go on with our work again in 1999, we met and started once more..and yet again the financial problems prevented us to reach an end.
I stayed. I live here, this is a country which gave me freedom of expression , they had suddenly believed in us, we were free to think and design any form to help all students and the young from other Latin American countries in improving their attitudes, and this was achieved.
“ What can I do now?” Carlo replied, after hearing a real story of a young “old” artist dedicated to other people and to the great change, I was amazed and a bit disoriented-what and how could an architect from Italy set up a project of restoration of the Colonial buildings , derelict houses with elements from Liberty, an architect arrived after 60years? alone? the problem was and would be only one “ it would be necessary to move to Havana for long time”and the idea deserved a deep consideration about “Carlo would think on it deeply..” I whispered to Roberto who replied “ yes, I do know!
Roberto admitted he felt nostalgia for Italy, for VENICE and family, but he chose to walk throughout the world long time ago:
“An achitect" or a young with passion and determination in those years couldn’t stay still, it was necessary to move and work in other firms, other cities, other countries. The world was going to change, and I felt the need to follow the change, that was the way I met the Cuban Revolution: I was working in Venezuela with Ricardo and Ernesto fought for Democracy , soon after the victory Cuba , before realm for the rich while the native population was starving and suffering, called for technicians, achitects, artists, to reconstruct a nation with more opportunities for people. We were all young and accepted to leave for Cuba”he continued..
“I come to my school every week, I know what to do to complete, I watch it, I am moved and feel upset, I know my life is quite different from my two “brothers’ ,they have gone! I know I don’t own anything, rather I own a lot, I have my roots here, I was too young when I arrived not to get accustomed to this life, then we were enthusiast, we had freedom to work and act as we liked, I must be grateful to Cuba, it welcomed us and gave affection and esteem.
Here I have loved, failed, suffered and loved again, I have grown up my sons, whose future worries me a lot, here I work, I m not an artist, I am a worker”
We stood silent, we knew he was going to come to Italy even if he was not so fine, he had to take part to a workshop and conference in Florence, then in Venice :
“I love Venice,not the Venice of mass tourism, but my city with fog and mist, Venetian people up and down the bridges, some travellers, and students out of the station running to their University courses, …Venice, my City! Cuba, my home!”
Black coffe, a cappuccino and a sort of croissant, he thanked with sweetness and gratitude:
“Can we meet in Venice,then?
“Definetely, Roberto..get in touch meanwhile, we’l l beback to Cuba soon,Carlo will tell you about the problem of restoring Havana”..
”Thanks for your cooperation and having met me!”he exclaimed.
He walked towards his dark red “ancient” car, slowly, determined to make us feel he is a Cuban born in Italy, rather in Venice, inside he would remain a Venetian, elegant and proud in his modesty and out of any fashion or commonplace. He turned back for the last look at his work, The School!.
Good bye Roberto, a couple of days deserving attention and regard, impressed in my mind as if I had lived there for long ..
He passed some years ago- I often recall his face, his curious and a bit sad eyes, his modesty in clothes and his capacity to hypnotize through his calm way of talking, explaining, recording with sadness and joy to be living in that country where he would have a corner in the dust*, a dreamer passed away before his perfect ideal of school could be finished..
- In 2012 Ricardo Porro, Vittorio Garatti, Roberto Gottardi received the prize “De Sica” for architecture by President Napolitano as designers of the National Art School in Cuba
-In 2019 there was a Call for preserving the Art schools in Cuba, thanks to the Getty foundation in the program “Keeping it Modern”..
- Roberto kept the dream to work on HIS project of a School for theatre till the end, it was not the only one elaborated from him, but he considered it as the most significant - he considered the 60s as the decade of the great innovations, aspirations and ideals, still he had kept the then creativity, research for the new, love for architecture, and ideal and hope for a better world
Farewell Roberto
* the words take inspiration from a poem by “The Soldier”, R,Brooke-War Poet