Dear subscribers,

Please find enclosed our press release regarding the opening of the
exhibition "el otro lado del alma" in Havana. The same text is available as
PDF and Word documents from our website www.afrocuban.org in German,
English, Spanish and French.

Best regards,
Moritz Neumueller
Claudia Hundius
Nelson R. de Arellanos

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ EXHIBITION TITLE: El otro lado del alma. Afrocuban Religions in
Contemporary Photography.
+ EXHIBITION DATES: February 11th, 2003 - March 6th, 2003
+ EXHIBITION VENUE: La Fototeca de Cuba (National Museum of Photography)
Havana, Cuba
+ OPENING: Tuesday, February 11th, 2003, 5 p.m.
+ PRESS PREVIEW: Monday, February 10th, 2003, 5 p.m.
+ CONTACT:
+ Moritz Neumueller, Vienna. Tel. +43 676 75 11 949, Email:
[log in to unmask]
+ Nelson R. de Arellano, Havana. Tel +53 7 8622530, Email:
[log in to unmask]
+ WEBSITE: www.afrocuban.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Press Release
-------------

** Religions return to Cuba **

* Seminal exhibition on Afrocuban Religions in contemporary Cuban
photography and video art to be shown at Havana's National Museum of
Photography *

Abstract:
In mid-February, a seminal photography exhibition on the Afrocuban Religions
is to be opened in Havana. Though they have been banned from public life for
decades, the religions of African origin have played an important role in
shaping Cuban culture and national identity. Even Fidel Castro himself is
said to be involved in these cults. La Fototeca de Cuba, Havana’s National
Museum of Photography, is proud to present el otro lado del alma: Afrocuban
Religions in Contemporary Photography. The show will bring together over 80
works by thirteen contemporary Cuban photo-graphers and video artists whose
work reflects the Afrocuban religions, opening to the public on February
11th, 2003. The project has been initiated and organized by the Austrian
curator Moritz Neumueller and event manager Claudia Hundius from Argentina,
in association with Fototeca’s Director Lourdes Socarrás and Chief Curator
Nelson R. de Arellano.
* * *

“Our view of Cuban photography is still based on the iconic portraits of Che
Guevara and the great achievements of Epic Photography. Today, Cuban
photography and video art strongly interacts with the international
movements. Yet, these contemporary artists also reflect Cuba's African
heritage in their work. El otro lado del alma marks the first photography
exhibition dedicated to the influence of the Afrocuban Religions”, says the
curator of the exhibition, Moritz Neumueller from Austria.
The Afrocuban Religions stem from West African cults brought to the New
World by slaves imported to the Caribbean to work the sugar plantations. The
Africans carried with them various cultural traditions, generally based on a
communication process with ancestors or deities, the use of animal sacrifice
and the practice of sacred drumming and dance. Despite the slaveholders’
intentions to convert the slaves to Catholicism, they were able to preserve
the essence of their religions by fusing certain aspects with elements from
the surrounding Spanish Catholic culture. These religions have even survived
decades of banishment under the influence of Soviet Marxism. Since the
religious liberation of 1991, the Afrocuban Religions have played an even
stronger role in shaping Cuban culture and national identity.
Contemporary Cuban photographers engage with the religious subject matter
from a range of perspectives. One end of that spectrum is defined by
documentary photography, such as the work of Jorge Luis Álvarez Pupo, Raúl
Cañibano, Elio Delgado, Humberto Mayol, and Ramón Pacheco. The other is
marked by a conceptual approach to the African heritage (Pedro Abascal,
Ricardo Elías) and the definition of transcultural (Liudmila y Nelson).
Marta María Pérez Bravo and René Peña inscribe the symbols of a genuinely
Afrocuban language into their self-portraits, while Kattia García
investigates about female role models in contemporary Cuban society, by
depicting women in their daily practices. Sandra Ramos who is known for her
multiples and prints has produced large digital photographs and a video on
the pilgrimage to San Lazero.
This selection tries to highlight the individual artists’ profound
interpretation of the collective spiritual memory of a nation that has been
called “Latin-African” by its supreme leader, Fidel Castro.
The curator of the show concludes that “the fantastic iconography of the
Afrocuban religions and their relation to the richly facetted Cuban
photographic tradition invite a careful look at these contemporary artists
in order to uncover new insights into el otro lado del alma, the other side
of the Cuban soul”.
EDUCATIONAL MEDIA
A great effort has been made to furnish the exhibition with educational
media, which will be especially helpful for the touring in Europe and the
Americas. An original, twenty-minute documentary on the artists’ approaches
to Afrocuban spirituality has been produced exclusively for this show. Six
of the most important cults are presented by ethnologists, artists,
historians, journalists and by those who practice them in their daily lives.
The narrative thread of the film is provided by African myths which have
been brought to the New World by the slaves and passed on from one
generation to the other. Thus, the visitor shall be able to experience the
renaissance of the religions in Cuba in a both personal and authentic
manner.
Additionally, computer terminals in the galleries will enable the visitor of
the exhibition to navigate further information in a multimedia presentation.
This interactive and multilingual (Spanish, English, German) CD-ROM contains
all exhibited works and artists, naturally complimented with short
descriptions, CVs, and an extensive textual archive.

PUBLICATIONS
A multilingual, 40 page printed catalog, including texts by Natalia Bolívar
(one of Cuba's most important anthropologists) and an essay by the Cuban art
critic Eugenio Valdés Figueroa, will be published for the touring.

PRESS KIT
A press kit can be inquired directly from the exhibition team. Please do not
hesitate to send an email to [log in to unmask] Furthermore, we invite
you to consult our Web page at www.afrocuban.org.

FACTS AND FIGURES:
·       El otro lado del alma (the other side of the souls) consists of 80 works,
primarily b/w photography (gelatine silver prints) in the measurements 30 x
40 cm (12 x 14 inches) and 40 x 50 cm (14 x 16 inches). Furthermore, there
will be digital prints in great dimensions, video art and an installation
work.
·       Moritz Neumueller, PhD is an independent curator and documentary film
maker. After his studies of Art History and Economy, Neumueller (b. 1972 in
Linz, Austria) has gained practical experience at MoMA’s Department of
Photography in New York and with various independent projects.
·       Event manager Claudia Hundius (b. 1974 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) studied
Hotel Management in Leysin, Switzerland. She has held management positions
in the service industry in Latin America, Europe and the US.
·       The project was initiated in October of 2001. The costs will be covered by
the touring fees and sponsorships. This initiative is supported by the
Austrian Embassy in Cuba, the Austro-Cuban Society and the Cuban Institute
for Friendship among the Peoples (ICAP). Media partners for the documentary
are the Austrian Broadcasting Company (ORF), as well as the production
companies Satel and WNTV.
·       La Fototeca de Cuba is the National Museum of Photography, located on the
“Plaza Vieja”, in Havana’s historical center. The museum was founded in 1986
and is now directed by Lourdes Socarrás. It contains a collection of more
than 66,000 works, the National Photography Archive and a laboratory, which
can be used by all Cuban photographers free of charge. Chief curator Nelson
R. de Arellano is responsible for the museum’s artistic direction. The
Fototeca’s Web Site (in Spanish language only) is located at:
www.cnap.cult.cu/instituciones/fototeca.html

El otro lado del alma will tour through Europe, Latin America and the US
until the beginning of 2006. Exact schedules available upon request.

###

Friday, January 17th, 2003

Moritz Neumueller, PhD.
Weissgerberlaende 58/2/21
A-1030 Vienna, Austria
Email: [log in to unmask]
Phone: +43-1-9660544
Mobile: +43-676-75 11 949
Fax: +43-1-7145673

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