CUBA is opening its doors to reggae king Bob Marley.

Thirty-two Marley posters from the collection of the International Reggae Poster Contest (IRPC) are to go on show in the Caribbean state as part of an exhibition and seminar titled ‘Bob Marley Time Will Tell’.

The 32 works from poster designers represent Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Poland, Egypt, Romania, South Korea, United States, Iran, Greece and others. This event is part of a broader International event that will take place at Casa De Las Americas, the 6th Edition of the International Colloquium ‘Cultural Diversity in the Caribbean’ Conference.

IRPC organiser Jamaican visual artist Michael ‘Freestylee’ Thompson has also been invited by the organising committee to design a special poster to commemorate the event, and also celebrate the life and message of the legendary reggae icon.

The IRPC and Thompson note that they are delighted to participate in this cultural event at the most important cultural institution in Cuba.

In 1978, Michael Thompspn attended the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students in Havana, and Casa De Las Americas was one of the cultural institutions that he visited there. It was at Casa and other cultural institutions such as (ICAC) Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos that he discovered the Art of Cuban poster design. Both organisations were instrumental in the development of his personal journey into poster design, and Cuban poster art have inspired the aesthetics and style of his works.

Meanwhile, the IRPC continues the ‘Art of Reggae’ exhibition tour throughout the Mexico City Metro System. The special poster exhibition moved from the Jamaica Metro Station to the Centro Médico Metro station on April 8 and will continue showing until April 28.

–RJ