El otro lado del alma
Subtitle: Syncretisms in Contemporary Cuban Photography
Publisher: Edition oehrli
Published: 2005
Place of publication: Zurich
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 94
Description: Our assessment of Cuban photography is still strongly predisposed by Korda's iconic Che Guevara portraits and influences from the great achievements of Epic Photography. Today, Cuban photography and video art strongly interact with international movements and are systematically shown in exhibitions around the globe. Many of these contemporary artists reflect a profoundly Cuban culture, as a subject, in their works. The Afro Cuban aesthetics have been prominently discussed theoretically and have become widely known in installations, performance art, painting and sculpture. They represent a visual dissemination stemming from strong roots firmly planted, which originated from African cults that were imported by slaves hundreds of years ago, resulting in a syncretism of religious expression. This first show, focused on the relationship between syncretistic religions and contemporary photography, had a great impact in its first venue, the Fototeca de Cuba (Havana's National Museum of Photography) in 2003. For political and historic reasons, the part of Cuban photographic production that was unrelated to the social reality of the Revolution did not find any interest at the time and for many years after. Historically, documentary and religious photography were lacking public acceptance and were not promoted by the art institutions. Also, the formal aperture of Cuban photography towards more "conceptual" tendencies did not happen before the 1980s, only then allowing the development of new approaches to the religious theme.