Inside Cuba Past-Forward

Cuba occupies a place of undisputed fascination in the American psyche. Despite its proximity to America, this island nation remains a mystery to most Americans. Few Americans have traveled to Havana, and still fewer have traveled deeper into this isolated country.

 

Chris Messner, a Fine Art Photographer, was drawn to Cuba, by his artistic curiosity. He covered thousands of miles on the island’s back roads photographing out of the way places. He saw Cuba as it exists today and captured images of a land full of color, beauty and the raw environment where people weather hardships with generosity, resourcefulness and dignity. 


Messner’s photographs of people, architecture, old cars, and sites of historical significance provide an engaging window on this enigmatic country. After writing his first nonfiction book about these adventures in “Cuba Open from the Inside,” Messner now is releasing a series of photo essay books detailing his many encounters with this island nation. With an unbiased visual perspective, he documents Cuba as it exists today, a cultural time capsule country, before it opens and much of it changes and becomes folkloric.