"Queloides: Race & Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art" in Havana and Pittsburgh

Twelve contemporary Cuban artists will address the issues of racism and prejudice at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. "Queloides: Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art" is organized by Alejandro de la Fuente, a scholar of race relations in Cuba, and Elio Rodríguez, a Cuban artist and curator.

The artists, who were all born in Cuba, include Pedro Álvarez, Manuel Arenas, Belkis Ayón, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Roberto Diago, Alexis Equivel, Armando Mariño, René Peña, Marta María Pérez Bravo, Douglas Pérez, Elio Rodíguez, and Meira Marrero + José Toirac.

Queloides is an art exhibit that seeks to contribute to current debates about the persistence of racism in contemporary Cuba and elsewhere in the world. The exhibit was hosted at the Centro Wifredo Lam in Havana (April 16 - May 31, 2010), and some of the same artworks will be on view at the Mattress Factory (October 16, 2010 - February 27, 2011). The twelve artists invited to participate are renowned for their critical work on issues of race, discrimination, and identity.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• race
• havana
• cuba
• pittsburgh
• mattress factory
• Pedro Álvarez
• Manuel Arenas
• Belkis Ayón
• María Magdalena Campos-Pons
• Roberto Diago
• Alexis Equivel
• Armando Mariño
• René Peña
• Marta María Pérez Bravo
• Douglas Pérez
• Elio Rodíguez
• Meira Marrero
• José Toirac
• Alejandro de la Fuente
• art
• installation

[Shilohmx1]

@sodalimette Any Nationality can embrace many ancestries, like you say. Not all Mexicans are White and not all cubans are black! Not all Bolivians are Indians and not all Jews practice Judaism, not all Catholics speak Spanish and not all Anglos are pale. yes indeed, this is a world of diversity.

And you cubans shouldn't be embarrassed and ashamed to be afros.

[Shilohmx1]

@sodalimette Most cubans are black or mulattoes, because Black slaves from west africa were shipped to cuba before being sold in the USA.

slavery and blacks go hand by hand, history speaks by itself.

[sodalimette]

@Shilohmx1 Not necessarily true. Cubans can be all of the above or none of the above or a mix of a few to many ancestries.

[Shilohmx1]

Cubans are NOT Hispanics nor Latinos, they are Afros or negroes