Cultural and scientific mediators between Cuba and French-Speaking Europe (1952-1971) – CUBANEXUS

Our work plan is built up on three main scientific steps (work packages), which are further broken down into several tasks. Step 1 implies identifying the Cuban and French-speaking mediators who contributed to strengthening the mutual understanding, which requires a comprehensive bibliographical search (task 1A). Task 1A will allow us to design an inventory assembling key information about the selected mediators (task 1B). Step 2 will result in the compilation of a wide array of unpublished written and oral sources, which will benefit from the assistance of our scientific partners both in Europe and Cuba. Data will be collected in France (task 2A), Belgium (task 2B), Switzerland (task 2C), and Cuba (task 2D). Our third step will result in a series of scientific productions (deliverables) meant to encourage further research on this project’s topic. Each deliverable is bound to a task: An online database with data of the selected mediators (task 3A); An international conference combined with a photo exhibition displaying unpublished images of 1960s Cuba (task 3B); The digitalization of the “Cuban collection”, which will enrich the CRLA-Archivos collection in Poitiers (task 3C); Publication of two articles and a book about the mediators’ role, along with its subsequent translation into Spanish (task 3D).

Final Results:

Three articles published in peer-reviewed journals (Cahiers des Amériques latines, Journal of Cold War Studies, Revue internationale des études du développement).

A forthcoming book titled: Cuba–France Relations through the Lens of Mediators: Arts, Sciences, and Politics, 1952–1971.

Consultation of numerous archives in France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs; French Communist Party archives; Daniel Guérin, Nathalie Sarraute, Anne Philipe, Jean Pronteau, Édouard Glissant, Pierre Naville, Gisèle Halimi, Michel Leiris, Michel Delluc, Didier Dacunha-Castelle collections), in Switzerland (ICRC; Michel Contat collection, etc.), and in Cuba (Ministry of International Relations, Casa de las Américas, etc.).

Processing and digitization of three archival collections: Eduardo Manet, Didier Dacunha-Castelle, and Nivaria Tejera–Fayad Jamís.

Several interviews conducted.

Organization of two academic conferences.

An online research blog dedicated to the CUBANEXUS project: cubanexus.hypotheses.org (featuring part of the processed archival collections and a database of mediators)

All partnerships established with collaborators are intended to be sustained through future collective projects. As a group, we have decided to continue our work on the concept of mediation—particularly cultural mediation—which we now aim to apply to the whole of Europe, rather than limiting it to the French-speaking sphere, and potentially beyond Cuba as well. For instance, I am involved in Fatiha Idmhand’s ANR project, “Pablo Picasso en toutes lettres – CARTAS”, which explores the artist’s global interactions, particularly with Latin America, an area in which my contribution is specifically requested. As the coordinator of CUBANEXUS, I am seriously considering the project's outcomes with a view to submitting a research proposal to the European Research Council (ERC), within the framework of a Consolidator Grant, by 2028.

Building on the hypothesis that French-speaking Europe had an impact in Cuba – which was mutual, especially after 1959 –, this project will examine the role of cultural and scientific mediators between Cuba and French-speaking Europe (France, Belgium, and Switzerland) from 1952 to 1971. Four research objectives have been outlined: 1) To identify the main cultural and scientific mediators between the two regions; 2) To assess their influence in shaping cultural and scientific interactions, and forming social representations; 3) To set up a network comprising Cuban (Havana University, Casa de las Américas, Institute of History) and European (CRLA-Archivos; STSLab) researchers; 4) To deliver a series of research products (“Cuban collection”, inventory of mediators, a book written in French and further translated into Spanish, two articles, a conference, a photo exhibit). By incorporating in the analysis two barely studied countries (Belgium and Switzerland) and discerning ruptures and continuities before and after 1959 – often seen as a watershed year –, this project’s objectives will allow us to overcome several historiographical limitations regarding Cuban-European relations.

We plan to gather a significant range of unpublished primary sources, which are likely to refresh the state of the art regarding Cuba-French-speaking Europe exchanges: Diplomatic files from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, France, Belgium, and Switzerland; archives from political parties that maintained close ties with Cuba; Casa de las Américas collection. We will also conduct interviews with key actors shaping the interactions between the two regions, producing a publicly available new set of un-consulted sources.

Our work plan is built up on three main scientific steps (work packages), which are further broken down into several tasks. Step 1 implies identifying the Cuban and French-speaking mediators who contributed to strengthening the mutual understanding, which requires a comprehensive bibliographical search (task 1A). Task 1A will allow us to design an inventory assembling key information about the selected mediators (task 1B). Step 2 will result in the compilation of a wide array of unpublished written and oral sources, which will benefit from the assistance of our scientific partners both in Europe and Cuba. Data will be collected in France (task 2A), Belgium (task 2B), Switzerland (task 2C), and Cuba (task 2D). Our third step will result in a series of scientific productions (deliverables) meant to encourage further research on this project’s topic. Each deliverable is bound to a task: An online database with data of the selected mediators (task 3A); An international conference combined with a photo exhibition displaying unpublished images of 1960s Cuba (task 3B); The digitalization of the “Cuban collection”, which will enrich the CRLA-Archivos collection in Poitiers (task 3C); Publication of two articles and a book about the mediators’ role, along with its subsequent translation into Spanish (task 3D).

To achieve our tasks and objectives, we request 178,200€ to the ANR.