04.03.08 kulturnatib

Magnet

Of the exhibits that we have calendared for viewing this year two have been designated as 'absolute must-views.'

The first or earlier exhibit comes from and is of a country closer in distance than France, the origin or organizational provenance of the later exhibit (which will still be in June). But in spirit, it cannot be any closer since all modern art in any country will have had some roots or will have been influenced by the modernist movement starting with the French impressionists.

Historically, too, this country, has ties to the Philippines though these are often unacknowledged and even little known. Rizal was, for example, on his way to this country, volunteering to do medical service for the Spanish authorities there when his trip was interrupted and he was eventually executed soon after.

'Cuba : Art and History from 1868 to Today,' is an exhibit, we viewed two weeks ago at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. This exhibit shines a fine-focus light on while at the same time sweeps a broad panorama of this island that Columbus has described as “the most beautiful land eyes have ever seen,” and walks the viewer through Cuban history as is reflected in its visual arts.

I found close parallels with the development of Philippine visual arts except that Cuban artists, as a result of their closer proximity to Europe particularly the political developments there, developed a sharper artistic vernacular expressed through the prism of a particularly political or nationalist sentiment coinciding with artistic ferment and their historical experience.

In the Philippines the schism between the older, naturalist or realist school and the moderns were expressed almost exclusively along stylistic discourses although the radicalization of 70s pushed by the ferment of the Martial Law years developed an overtly political or nationalist viewpoint in Philippine art.

Cuba, by this time however, was firmly along the project of what the exhibit notes call the period of political utopias making her a major toothache for the U.S. only a spit away. This was also the beginning of Che Guevara, a major figure in the Cuban revolution, becoming a worldwide cult figure that up till now sees cycles of baffling popularity even simply as iconic symbol in shirts and other consumer goods.

Incidentally, in this exhibit I learned, as quoted in one of accompanying explanatory text, that Che Guevara 'ridiculed' social-realism, calling it, “the art of the frozen form gird only for expressing what everybody already knows.”

While the full context of this quote might not support the position that Guevara was an anti-social realist, it still could serve as among the transition points towards what, again, the exhibit notes as the present period of ideological, historical and aesthetic challenges.

Having taken up performance art in recent years my personal inclination leans towards this period which I surmise to include the period with establishment of the Havana Biennale in 1984, which, surprisingly, was not given much attention, if there was even any mention at all, in the exhibit.

This bienniale is now recognized as one of the most important for 'third-world' artists, and a number of Filipino artists I know have represented the country in this bienniale notably the '01 and 03' editions.

The works of this period I found the most engaging. Most of these were multimedia pieces, installations and, of course, performances. The most notable for me here is the performance piece by Tania Vigilantes performed inside a jetliner. While not explicitly stated, I think the title of the work has reference a work by Goya “The Dream of Reason,” which, incidentally and with a completely different trajectory, is also the title of another performance work by Raymund Fernandez.

In the video documentation, the artist wears a contraption that forcibly keeps her mouth open during what could be the duration of the flight. She is wearing a black tshirt with a print on it that says: DISSENT WITHOUT FEAR.

Many of the works here are frankly critical of the present Cuban regime and some poke what some people – the authorities – might not be inclined to call gentle, harmless fun, notably a video animation of the word REVOLUCION in different fonts from Aachen to Zurich, which is also its title.

With further research after viewing this exhibit I have learned that next year will be the 10th anniversary of the Havana Bienniale, which prior to this exhibit had only been a soft-focus dream for me.

This time around with circumstances that are now slightly favorable, this can very well become a powerful magnet.