High-profile performance artist Tania Bruguera and several other Cuban artists were detained in Havana on Monday after trying to stage a protest against a new decree that they fear will hamper creativity and increase censorship of Cuban culture, reports Reuters.

Before disappearing, the artists were set to protest Decree 349, a new legislation signed by Communist President Miguel Diaz-Canel. The decree goes into effect on Friday and is criticized for severely restricting artistic freedom. All artists would need prior approval from the Ministry of Culture for operating in public or private spaces, and their work would be subject to heavy censorship.

In a statement, human rights organization Amnesty International weighed in, calling the decree "a dystopian prospect" for Cuba's artists and "an ominous sign of things to come." 

Bruguera, whose work often engages the "the role of emotions in politics," is now showing her interactive installation TANIA BRUGUERA: 10,146,374, and "Tate Neighbours" in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern.