The Cuban artist Enrique Martínez Celaya unveiled a monumental work on Saturday, October 17, at the Los Angeles Opera, United States: a hand-painted curtain, approximately 21 meters wide, that transforms before the audience's eyes as it rises above the stage.
The creation, titled The Things We Know, was conceived especially for the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, one of the main cultural venues in Los Angeles, and will accompany the performances of the 2026-2027 season.
The premiere coincided with the opening of the LA Opera season, which began with a new production of Carmen by Georges Bizet.
But Martínez Celaya's work goes far beyond merely decorating the stage. The artist made the movement of the curtain an essential part of the piece, allowing spectators to discover different images as the performance approaches.
According to an interview published by the magazine ELLE on October 17, his intention was to take advantage of an artistic opportunity that would be difficult to explore in a conventional museum.
The initial image shows two children immersed in their little worlds: a girl holds a fishbowl with a fish, while a boy reaches out to a bird trapped in a cage.
For about 40 minutes before the show, the audience mainly observes that scene. However, when the curtain starts to rise, stars, flowers, and flashes of light appear, completely transforming the composition.
Finally, the images fade away, giving way to the darkness from which the opera begins.
The proposal explores issues such as childhood, memory, freedom, and confinement—themes that permeate much of Martínez Celaya's artistic trajectory.
From Cuba to the great international stages
Martínez Celaya was born in Cuba in 1964 and left the island with his family when he was eight years old. He later lived in Spain and Puerto Rico before moving to the United States.
He studied Applied Physics at Cornell University and later Quantum Electronics at the University of California, Berkeley. During this period, he conducted scientific research and obtained patents related to laser technologies.
However, he eventually left behind his promising scientific career to fully devote himself to art.
In an interview granted to the newspaper La Opinión, published in early October, he recalled that his decision caused confusion among his family and colleagues.
In 2012, Martínez Celaya created The Tower of Snow, a 3.3-meter bronze sculpture installed in front of the Tower of Freedom in Miami, in tribute to the thousands of Cuban children who arrived alone in the United States during Operation Peter Pan.
In 2019, he returned to Havana for the first time after 47 years of absence to participate in the Biennial with El Trineo Dorado, a installation located on the Malecón that explored emigration, the dreams of a better life, and the reconstruction of memory.
His works are part of the collections of institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others.
It has also developed projects for institutions such as the Berlin Philharmonic and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
He currently resides in Los Angeles and is a professor of Humanities and Arts at the University of Southern California.
A work that will have a second life
The monumental curtain will not remain intact forever.
Martínez Celaya informed ELLE that, once the opera season concludes, the painting will be divided into individual pieces that will be put up for sale, with the aim of raising funds for future productions and initiatives by LA Opera.
The institution officially announced the commission in September and highlighted the Cuban artist's ability to blend painting, poetry, philosophy, and reflection on the human experience.
Additionally, LA Opera has scheduled a free open house day on October 24, during which visitors will be able to view the work, observe its transformation through the movement of the curtain, and participate in a meeting with its creator.
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