IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 5 ENGLISH | Page 93
Official rhetoric talks about “the people” having the right to defend their
streets, etc. This idea that “the streets
belong to the revolutionaries,” and that
those who are not revolutionaries, or try
to find spaces on those streets, or try to
present some kind of non-revolutionary
performance have no right to these
spaces makes it extremely difficult to
use physical spaces. Thus, virtual space
has become that space for us, which
explains the sudden displacement to it,
even though we still don’t own it in
many senses. We want to publish an
open call for unprotected or censored
artists, and for artists who lack a physical space in which to exhibit his or her
work. We want to create a link between
underground artists and artists who have
access to official galleries.
creative process, form, spectators, and
artists with more universal concerns,
those that focus on the experience of
individuals.
This space-gallery proposes having a set
of objects in its interior closer to the
more individual creative process. Our
intention is to undo some of the limits
between spectators and artists. Due to
their universal nature, they will not
seem strange to the spectator. We propose the creation of an open conversational space via a symbolization of
closed spaces, from a subspace, to reduce the distance between the legitimating, official, and also censoring institution. A gallery is the most efficient
space for this, when it comes to arguing
about visual arts. It is a place for recycling culture, and brings together a
group of creators and cultural promoters
under exceptional circumstances.
In conclusion, I’d like to clarify that
spaces could not fit in with the prefabricated profile of spaces legitimated by
the State, which is the trend right now.
Places like La Fábrica de Arte (FAC)
seek to counter precisely these spontaneous and autonomous initiatives. They
may the result of a real need, but they
don’t need permission or doubtful contracts to come into being, exist, or resist.
We have also created a virtual space as
a reflection of the physical one, to contribute to making alternativity (or alterity) more visible in Cuban art, as a cultural gain and transforming principle.
You were talking to me about virtual
spaces and the need to recover physical
spaces. Why do you think this is important?
The País de Píxeles competition is algo
under your purvue…
We would be interested in publicly discussing the differences between virtual
and physical spaces, and the urgent
need to recover physical spaces. We
have observed an increasing displacement (of individuals, artistic or not) to
virtual spaces: people are finding it necessary to run away to virtual spaces,
because it is very difficult to utilize
physical spaces in Cuba at this time.
This competition took place for the first
time in 2011-2012; the award ceremony
was at the headquarters of the Estado de
Sats alternative project. This was done
with collaboration of Yoani Sánchez. It
had more than 80 participants from almost all the provinces, and additionally
some invited residents from abroad