El arte genera preguntas, no respuestas

Staying can also become a question. Pregunta (#1) belongs to the series El arte genera preguntas, no respuestas, through which I reflect on the tension between the right to remain and an expectation of exile that seems to accompany artistic practice in Cuba.

“Who cares about the artists who remain in Cuba?” comes from a personal concern: trying to imagine an artistic career from the island when many of the opportunities for circulation, exchange, and recognition seemed to exist elsewhere. I was interested in asking what place remained for those of us who wanted to continue making work without leaving necessarily being the only answer.

There is something uncomfortable about having to ask that question. Not because staying means giving something up, but because for a long time I felt that, in order to be seen, I had to be somewhere else.