Between 2008 and 2010 Mauro D’Agati visited Masonic lodges in Havana to take photos of this secret and largely unseen world.

Through D’Agati’s images of Masonic meetings, temples, symbols, documents, as well as portraits of the Masons themselves, we gain access to the intricate rituals of Masonic life, which are a blend of the earnest, mysterious traditions of an elite fraternity and everyday Cuban existence. The Grand Lodge of Cuba holds a special position in Freemasonry circles as Cuba is one of the few Communist nations where Masonry still thrives: today there are 316 lodges and more than 29,000 members on the island.

The precise details of the workings within a temple may not benrevealed to the public, yet D’Agati’s photos take us as far as permissible into this fascinating subculture.