A mural by Cuban artist Yonlay Cabrera adorns today the facade of the French Embassy in this capital as part of the cultural exchange between both nations.

The artwork depicts several of the French innovations that most influenced Cuba during the 19th century, corresponding to prominent figures in French engineering such as Charles Derosne, the Lamaur Brothers, the Lumière Brothers, Pierre-Joseph Laborie, Jean-François Cail, Esteban Best, Jules Sagebien, and Esteban La Fayé.

During the mural's inauguration, the Ambassador of France to Cuba, Raphaël Trannoy, emphasized that the project highlights the relationship between engineers from both countries as a historical reality of which they are proud.

Trannoy underscored that the work is part of the celebrations commemorating the upcoming 125th anniversary of bilateral relations next year.

For his part, the artist Yonlay Cabrera explained that when he saw the call for proposals, he reflected on how France was part of the development of the world and also of Cuba, particularly during the 19th century.

"When one reads about that era, the name of France appears frequently, and I found it very interesting to return to that origin, inspired by the aesthetics of the French blueprint," he noted.

The visual style of the mural (vinyl on wall) features the language of technical drawings as its main motif, based on actual schematics of the Lumière cinematograph, the Derosne vacuum evaporator, the horizontal mill and centrifuge, the Havana-Güines railroad, the hydraulic wheel and tahona, the Customs House of the Port of Matanzas, and the pendulum sugar mill.

The artwork, divided into panels bearing the colors of the Cuban and French flags, utilizes a layered composition typical of serigraphic techniques.

Two previous murals by Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou and French artist Daniel Buren preceded the current installation.

In this regard, Laura Salas, independent curator and general coordinator of the local development project La Mina, stressed that there is a compelling history behind the French Embassy's initiative.

"In many of the meetings we had, we spoke about the need to refresh and breathe new life into the facade. Throughout the process, the dialogue with Yonlay and the overall receptivity were very interesting and enriching," she mentioned.

Salas also stated that the experience continues and gains an additional layer of depth with the artist's solo exhibition at the Alliance Française headquarters in Old Havana, which will remain open to the public until November 29.

This year, the call for mural proposals launched by the French diplomatic mission, with the advisory support of Laura Salas and Galleria Continua, aimed to support Cuban art and raise the visibility of young creators residing in the Caribbean nation.