Speakers: Sandra Ramos, Artist; Octavio Zaya, Curator and Art Critic
Moderated by: Alejandro de la Fuente, Robert Woods Bliss Professor of Latin American History and Economics, Professor of African and African American Studies and of History, Harvard University; Tania Bruguera, Senior Lecturer in Media & Performance, Theatre, Dance & Media. Affiliate of Art, film, and Visual Studies
Cuban Artist Sandra Ramos and Art Curator Octavio Zaya will discuss the exhibition "SANDRA RAMOS: BOTH SIDES NOW ", as well as Ramos' artistic international career. The seminar will be followed by a guided tour of the exhibition led by Zaya and Ramos.
THE EXHIBIT...
Both Sides Now: Sandra Ramos
Curated by Octavio Zaya, Curator and Art Critic
Exhibiting Sandra Ramos at DRCLAS represents an opportunity to continue conversations we began with José Toirac and build on the strengths of our Cuba Studies Program. Not only because Ramos has become the icon of a new generation of Cuban artists, those born after the 1959 revolution, grew up under that revolution, and unavoidably experienced its successes, contradictions, and painful shortcomings. Her work is also relevant because through her personal and singular language she has posed probing questions concerning Cuban republican history.
Through an exquisite combination of irony and humor, Ramos’ work is populated by anthological figures of Cuban popular culture—most famously by her own alter ego, a schoolgirl dressed in uniform who witnesses, frequently with helpless astonishment, how Cuba drowns. We could say that her recurring subjects are all related to her painful experiences living in Cuba and parting with Cuba, from the loss of innocence to the disruption of her family ties, from isolation and disenchantment to her encounter with the U.S. culture; autobiographical recollections that have managed to create an allegorical landscape of photographs, drawings, collages, video and installations that brings together the artist’s projections on the social, political and economic realities of her country.
More recently, since her move to the United States, Ramos has expanded her incisive search to tackle the contradictions and ambiguities within the American political culture. Through these works, she has expanded her cultural critique while exposing the weaknesses of the democratic system when it is placed against the totalitarian regimes and the tragicomical populism of our times. This exhibition covers both sides of Ramos´ inquiry.
As part of this exhibition, DRCLAS will screen the following video animations each Friday from 11:30am to 12:00pm (S216)
