***  Haus der Kulturen der Welt: Forum1 Archive  ***
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   [Date]: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 23:50:08 PST
   [From]: "Raul Ferrera-Balanquet" <ferrera98@hotmail.com>
     [To]: forum1@hkw.kbx.de
[Subject]: Re: [forum1] Seventh Biennial of Havana

Dear Members of the Forum:

I am happy to see the press release for the Havana Biennial. Also, I feel 
very sad that for years, this cultural event has marginalized the artists it 
tries to "represent."

In 1994, the biennal address issues of marginalization, migration, environment, individual appropriations and obsessions. Nevertheless, there was no inclusion of any of the Cuban artists who have experienced migration and exile: two issues so relevant in today's world.  Cuba, who has a 150 years history of exile, never addressed the very core issues they were trying to present at this biennal.

The Cuban and Cuban American artists living outside Cuba still hurt after 
all these years. The Berlin Wall had fallen several years ago, but for us, 
the mythical, ideological and physical space  preventing us from having 
access to our homeland still very up.

I just want to point out that when we are discussing issues of access, 
representation, authority and the work of art, cultural events, calling 
themselves "progressive and for artists from the third world" employ 
exclusionary practices like in the Western world.

I just hope that one day, We, the Cuban and Cuban American artists living 
outside Cuba could become visible in the history of Contemporary Cuban Art.


Raul Ferrera-Balanquet, MFA
Interdisciplinary Artist and Scholar
ferrera98@hotmail.com
http://www.artswire.org/krosrods/curriculum/index.html