The exhibition "Drawings in Cuba" is presented in Vienna
Vienna, November 12, 2025. The exhibition "Drawings in Cuba" by our supportive friend Ali Kohlbacher was inaugurated in the VHS hall in Heitzig, Vienna.
At the opening of the exhibition, Cuban Ambassador Pablo Berti Oliva recalled that Ali Kohlbacher traveled to Cuba for the first time in 1986, where he made his first drawings with Cuban motifs. He did so as one of the co-founders of the Austria-Cuba Friendship Association, and this was followed by more than 20 trips to the country.
While his hands worked on cooperation projects, his architect's eye and artist's heart captured the essence of Cuba. They show the consistency of a man who, with his pen and his actions, has been faithful to his ideals of social justice, peace, and international solidarity.
He took advantage of every trip to draw in his spare time: in Havana, in provincial capitals and towns, in the mountains and along the coasts of this fascinating island. His portfolios and diaries contain around 200 drawings and sketches that convey a vivid image of Cuba and its society. In 2006, his political cartoons were exhibited for the first time in Havana.
The Cuban ambassador conveyed Cuba's gratitude for Ali Kohlbacher's solidarity work and for drawing the island with truth.