January 12 – March 3, 2018
USF Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa
Artists Glexis Novoa, Celia y Yunior, Antonio Eligio Fernández “Tonel” and Javier Castro will produce new works, in sculpture, painting, drawing, installation and video, that consider the changes, or “no changes,” that the political and diplomatic developments have wrought in their personal lives and in Cuban society.
Javier Castro presents Cinco Cosas Básicas/Five Basic Things, five richly chromatic and visually mesmerizing interrelated videos that reflect on basic aspects of human behavior, desires and struggles. The five-minute videos, filmed in Castro’s marginal Old Havana neighborhood, will be arranged in the gallery for simultaneous viewing. Through single metaphorical images and repetitive actions, the works speak compellingly of life in Cuba while addressing issues of concern shared by individuals in contemporary societies.
Celia y Yunior’s structure Varaentierra, a variation on the rustic storm refuge common in rural Cuba, will be built on site and incorporates tobacco leaves and stems as well as historical research in the form of text. The work investigates the rise and fall of the cigar industry in Tampa/Ybor City over almost a century and a half, mirroring a similar process in Cuba: what was once a thriving, important industry that supported many thousands of families is now a tourist-oriented, boutique attraction.
Glexis Novoa proposes a multimedia installation that will examine the development of his work from his native Cuba to his life in the United States and finally to the recent reestablishment of his studio in Havana. Included are exquisite graphite drawings on reclaimed marble slabs that speak of the political power of architecture, colorful paintings that reflect on the new Cuban “wordscape” he encountered, and vintage flags and ephemera which focus on aspects of the Cuban Revolution and their influence on his art.
Antonio Eligio Fernández “Tonel” presents multimedia installations with sculpture and drawing created in the artist-critic-curator-art historian’s deceptively simple, and often satiric, style that enfolds a rigorous intellectual content. Hacer arte no debería ser caro (Art Shouldn’t be Expensive to Make) discusses the massive infusion of capital invested in the global production of art and its effect on artistic values, while (Elogio del) darwinismo/(In Praise of) Darwinism comments on social Darwinism and the conquest of Cuban society by money and market forces.
Climate Change: Cuba/USA is curated by Noel Smith; organized by USF Contemporary Art Museum.
RELATED EVENTS
Climate Change: Cuba/USA Artist Symposium
January 12, 10am–12pm, USF Marshall Student Center, MSC2709
Climate Change artists Javier Castro, Yunior Aguiar of Celia y Yunior, and Glexis Novoa will speak about their work. Presented by CAM Club.
Climate Change: Cuba/USA Artists Conversation
January 12, 6pm, USF School of Music Barness Recital Hall, MUS107
Climate Change artists Javier Castro, Yunior Aguiar of Celia y Yunior, and Glexis Novoa participate in a panel conversation. Moderated by curator Noel Smith. Event presented in memory of Janet G. Root. Program support provided by USF World.
Climate Change: Cuba/USA Opening Reception
January 12, 7-9pm, USF Contemporary Art Museum
Meet the artists and curator of Climate Change: Cuba/USA.
Art Thursday: Curator’s Tour
January 25, 6pm, USF Contemporary Art Museum
Noel Smith, CAM Curator of Latin American and Caribbean Art, leads a tour of Climate Change: Cuba/USA.
Art Thursday: Curious Crafts: Crossing the Florida Straits
February 8, 6pm, USF Contemporary Art Museum
USF History Professor Johnhenry González speaks on the Cuban Balseros Crisis and its implications for the Cuban Diaspora. Sponsored by the USF Institute for the Study of Latin America and the Caribbean (ISLAC).
SYCOM: Music for Climate Change
February 16, 7-9pm, USF Contemporary Art Museum
Students from the USF School of Music’s SYCOM program present a two-hour continuous concert of original compositions in response to Climate Change: Cuba/USA.
Art Thursday: ¡Salsa!
February 22, 6pm, USF Contemporary Art Museum
Join us to experience the music and dance of salsa, including an introduction to its history and dance lessons. Presented by CAM Club.
Danay Suarez Talk
February 27, 7pm, USF Marshall Student Center, MSC3707
A key figure in Cuba’s underground hip-hop scene, vocalist Danay Suarez will present an inspiring lecture sharing her experience growing up in Cuba, and rise to fame in Latin music and beyond, with her socially conscious lyrics and message of hope and positive empowerment. To learn more about Danay Suarez, visit www.danaysuarez.com. Presented by USF Cuban American Student Association (CASA). Program support provided by USF World.
UACDC Prodigy Showcase w/ 1pm Danay Suarez Concert
March 3, 12-3pm, University Area CDC Community Center, 14013 North 22nd Street, Tampa, FL 33613
UACDC Prodigy Showcase with a 1pm collaborative performance featuring Danay Suarez with Prodigy students. Program support provided by USF World.
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