elpais.com
Coco Fusco: Swimming Dry at the Macba
Coco Fusco's Macba exhibition in Barcelona, running until January 11, 2026, uses video, performance, and documentary to explore post-revolutionary Cuba's repression, referencing figures like Heberto Padilla and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, highlighting censorship and state control.
- How does Coco Fusco's exhibition at the Macba illuminate the ongoing struggle with censorship and state control in post-revolutionary Cuba?
- Coco Fusco's exhibition at the Macba in Barcelona uses video, performance, and documentary to explore the lives and experiences of those repressed in post-revolutionary Cuba. The show features works referencing censored figures like Heberto Padilla, María Elena Cruz Varela, and Reinaldo Arenas, highlighting Cuba's struggle with its past.
- What are the key historical figures and events referenced in the exhibition, and how do they connect contemporary artistic repression in Cuba to its past?
- Fusco's work connects the silencing of Cuban artists and writers to broader themes of state control and censorship. The exhibition includes pieces created from descriptions of works by imprisoned artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, linking contemporary repression to historical figures like José Antonio Aponte. This intergenerational connection underscores the ongoing nature of these struggles.
- What are the potential limitations of using art primarily as an illustrative tool to convey political messages, and how might this impact the exhibition's overall effectiveness and critical engagement?
- The exhibition's focus on censorship and state control in Cuba, while important, lacks a strong connection to similar issues in the United States, a context Fusco often addresses. Furthermore, the reliance on art as a purely illustrative tool limits its imaginative potential and critical engagement, making the exhibition feel overly didactic.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The review's framing emphasizes the perceived shortcomings of Coco Fusco's exhibition, focusing on its 'programmatic' nature and lack of imaginative depth. While acknowledging positive aspects, the predominantly critical tone shapes the reader's interpretation towards a negative assessment.
Language Bias
The language used is generally descriptive and analytical. However, terms like 'excessively programmatic' and 'overly illustrative' could be considered loaded, implying a negative judgment. More neutral alternatives could be 'explicitly didactic' or 'visually descriptive'.
Bias by Omission
The review focuses heavily on Coco Fusco's exhibition, neglecting a balanced comparison with other similar exhibitions showcasing Cuban art and struggles. The lack of detailed analysis of the interconnectivity between the US and Cuba in Fusco's work is noted as a weakness, suggesting a potential bias by omission of a potentially crucial context.
False Dichotomy
The review presents a false dichotomy by contrasting Fusco's work, deemed overly programmatic and illustrative, with Sara Gómez's work, praised for its vibrancy and critical depth. This oversimplification ignores the possibility of diverse approaches within artistic expression and the potential value of both styles.
Sustainable Development Goals
The exhibition highlights the stories of silenced Cuban artists and political figures, drawing attention to the inequalities and injustices they faced. By giving voice to these marginalized individuals, the exhibition contributes to a more equitable representation of Cuban history and challenges existing power structures.