IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 7 ENGLISH | Page 107

Yet, sometimes there are projects that
require the work of an entire team, due
to their magnitude. In museography, for
example, those who are most knowledgeable about selection are the ones
who have to choose the pieces. Once
practical matters come into play, then
the installation technician has to get involved , so that the idea, theme, or rhetoric, become a reality. There are projects
that do require involvement by certain
experts
Must the gallery be open year-round
for exhibits?
No. But if there are so many artists and
talent in Cuba, then the situation is quite
the opposite: there aren’t enough months
or galleries.
Do municipal galleries sell their
works?
No. Municipal galleries lack the authority to do that; the ones at the Fondo de
Bienes Culturales do. They work
through a different mechanism, and that
is something that should be taken into
consideration. An artist should be able to
earn a living from his or her art.
What institutions control your gallery?
We belong to the municipal government,
People’s Power, and the Provincial Center for Plastic Arts and Design.
If the artist had the opportunity to sell
his or work and give part of the money to the gallery, would this be important for gallery workers?
Yes. It would not only benefit the artists
and Cuban art, but also the gallery itself.

Do you believe there is censorship
against specific art works due to their
themes?
There is always censorship, and it must
exist, even regarding quality, which is
another form of censorship. What we
must look at is when censorship is deployed for the benefit of a greater good,
or of great work, or when it is for discriminatory reasons, lack of talent, or
bad curatorship.
Have you been censored, for your
nudes, perhaps?
Not that I remember. I’ve been pretty
lucky, something that maybe not all artists have: it is important to know how to
pick the right piece for the right moment,
whether it is for a competition, salon, or
collection. One must be very clear about
this.
Is it possible you limit yourself with
your own selections when it comes to
exhibiting?
I do not limit myself based on what people might say or because I have doubts
about whether or not they will accept my
work. I do limit myself in the sense that
I carefully study calls for artists to see
what it is that each event is looking for.
If it is about nature, I try to have my
work include the most nature it can, and
reveal the human hand as little as possible. It takes a bit of a spark to know
which way to go. If it is a simple event, I
might pick a piece that is not so loud,
and not one that is much more imposing
or impactful; if it is a much more important exhibition, then one has to include a strong piece.

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