The Plane

The Cuban Monument to Freedom was born out of the passion and desire of artist Xavier Cortada, and the people on the current board to help tell the story of the Cuban Diaspora. The exhibit in its totality consists of a painted Russian Antonov-2 Colt airplane (used by a family to escape from Cuba) and 47 painted pieces of luggage.

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The Installation – Showcasing a Mural on the side of a 1940’s Cuban Airplane that was flown from Cuba to Miami in 1999 by a family wanting to reach Freedom. The mural was painted by local Cuban American artist Xavier Cortada and exhibited on Cuban Independence day in May of 2003, attending the event were 5,000 Miami residents.

Interaction - Featuring 46 pieces of luggage each painted with a color from the light spectrum and the 47th piece is painted in white. These Freedom Luggages, are placed around the plane, each luggage includes letters from exiles describing their experiences on leaving Cuba. The letters are sorted according to their year of departure and numbered sequentially from 1959 to 2004, representing each year the Cuban community has been in exile.

*Those wanting to contribute to the Installation may submit their letters to the 47th luggage that is painted white, reserved for those who may have thoughts to share about freedom and/or the Cuban Diaspora. Viewers will be able to deposit their letters into mail slots, this is an essential component to the project as the interaction becomes part of the Installation and continues to spread the message of Freedom and Liberty.

Submit Letters