In the Main Section, we are presenting works by Pavel Acosta, Edouard Duval-Carrié, Carlos Estévez, and Sandra Ramos.

Pavel Acosta, a Cuban artist, ingeniously merges global art with local influences by creating stylized reproductions of renowned paintings, infusing them with elements from his surroundings. Using a technique born out of necessity, where dried paint chips and nearby objects were his only materials, Acosta now employs the same method to meticulously replicate masterpieces from museum collections, thereby imbuing European art history with Caribbean essence. Similarly, Edouard Duval Carrié delves into the social and historical fabric of Haitian culture, blending Voodoo deities with classical mythology and national heroes to craft visually stunning examples of Magic Realism.

Carlos Estévez’s work, on the other hand, revolves around the concept of time and human transformation, encapsulated in his cabinets and paintings that depict cities in a state of apparent pause, hinting at the inevitable decay within urban landscapes. Meanwhile, Sandra Ramos tackles the complex dynamics of Cuban identity through “Two Islands Fighting,” a wood engraving and video animation that symbolizes the ongoing struggle between Cubans on the island and those in the diaspora, highlighting the rifts caused by political hostilities despite shared cultural ties.

Sandra Ramos
Two Islands Fighting (2019), un grabado en madera acompañado de una animación en video de la artista Sandra Ramos, representa preocupaciones tanto autobiográficas como colectivas que hacen un guiño a las teorías del arte de Glissant que existen enteramente dentro de la periferia colonial. Aquí, Ramos hace referencia a la lucha perpetua de los cubanos que viven en dos geografías opuestas (Cuba y cualquier otro lugar dentro de la diáspora). Lamentablemente, una reconciliación social y nacional entre estos dos grupos parece cada día más lejana, a pesar de los profundos vínculos familiares, culturales y sentimentales que existen. El interminable remolino de culpas, las recriminaciones mutuas y los malentendidos casi insuperables son productos de la hostilidad política de ambas partes, como se alude en esta obra de arte.