Paolo Rosso

Founded in Venice by artistic director Paolo Rosso in 2011, Microclima focuses on art, nature, and the public sphere. It is housed in the Serra dei Giardini, a greenhouse in the Biennale Gardens that was built in 1894 to preserve the exotic plants that decorated the first International Exhibitions of Art. Microclima’s Cuban research program was started in 2015 as part of the European Union’s Los Caminos del Café restoration of coffee plantations, creation of a heritage museum, and promotion of sustainable tourism in Santiago, Cuba. Along with local artists selected by the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, Microclima selected Gediminas Urbonas, Nomeda Urbonas, Vuk Cosic, Irena Woelle, and Alessandra Messali to create projects for the people of Santiago.