The painter and writer Juan Abreu suggests the President of the Xunta de Galicia, who uses his paintings of the victims of the Castro regime to tell a more complete story of Fidel and Raul Castro.
The painter and exiled Cuban writer Juan Abreu suggested Thursday in a public letter to the President of the Xunta de Galicia and the Galician People's Party, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, his intention to donate part of portraits shot, victims of Castroism, painted for two years to exhibit in the museum dedicated to the Castro brothers, who plansto open in the town of Láncara.
Images of the portraits of the series "1959" by Juan Abreu.
Images of the portraits of the series "1959" by Juan Abreu.
Exiled from the Mariel boatlift of 1980, Abreu, who lives in Barcelona, Spain, spoke today with Martí News about his desire to offer the hidden side of Cuba that Galicians do not know; his annoyance because the president of the regional government has managed the appointment of Raul Castro as the adopted son of Galicia and other related engagement as Cuban intellectual issues.
The more than 300 portraits of the "1959" series are interpretations of photographs of the victims that the painter has compiled. They can be seen on his blog Emanaciones.com.
Do you think this proposal is viable, you're going to hear?
To me it seemed interesting donate part of the series of Cubans shot , especially those who killed Raul Castro in 1959 in Santiago de Cuba to compensate a bit. Since they were going to a museum honoring the Castro, as also had information on the objective reality of these individuals, who ultimately are some murderers and dictators.
They just want to attract tourism, as has been said. For people to see the faces, a small part of these people who have been victims of that family.
How did you get the idea for the project and photos of the shot?
I thought about doing this work on a trip to London, when I saw a picture that I like a lot, had to do with the Palestinians, violence related to those conflicts. I saw this and for those rare brain connections, I suddenly thought, 'Man, there 's a big issue here, which is that of people who have died in Cuba, who have killed, shot, and when I got home I started looking in the archives.
I agreed with Maria Werlau, -of Archive Cuba- and it really has helped me a lot. Also published books that have alot of information about this. In the Casa del Preso (Miami), they have information, and I used the photos and the work they have been doing for many years, I have been in contact with them, and the truth is I have been super friendly.
When I started researching I came across the faces of the shot, a kind of altarpieces, and one thing led to another, and another, and suddenly he was already the work.
What is the purpose of your project?
I hope someday I can be in a museum, Miami first, I'd love to be interested because it is the right place to make a display of these victims.
The goal is that, to a museum first, and later when Cuba is free, because they go to the place where they should be, which is the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, so that Cubans when they go there to see and meditate on what which it has been the past of the island and what has been the Castro regime.
Hours of effort, budget , how have you felt the weight of this work?
It is a big responsibility, and it is also a huge job, but it's part of my job as an artist, is part of what I have to do and I feel happy doing it . There is no problem with that. It 's not something I say, 'Look, I'm leaving my job to get to do this.' Do not.
He has served as a kind of pictorial exploration with respect to the portrait: painting hundreds of portraits is a tremendous task, right?
What about the Castro propaganda that exile kills the work of the creator?
That's nonsense of the propaganda machinery of the Castro. The great Cuban literature has been in exile from (Jose) Marti (Cyril) Villaverde, Lydia Cabrera, Carlos Montenegro, (Enrique) Labrador Ruiz, (Guillermo) Cabrera Infante, Reinaldo Arenas ... Really what has not been done it is no great literature in Cuba. It is the great thing. It should think about how a dictatorship completely nullifies the creative sense. What has been done in Cuba during that time is quite secondhand.
I have never seen so into exile. On the contrary, I believe that an artist needs freedom, and this is where there isoutside. The few who dare to challenge it, go to jail, pay a price, which I think is very respectable. Unfortunately most do not, have dedicated themselves to pandering to the system to survive or a trip or any kind of sinecure.
Being an artist committed to freedom of Cuba, declare anti - Castro, you have brought you some brake fluidreservoir more than two decades?
Yes, of course, you have to pay a price for this. For example, right here in Spain any Cuban writer second finds a space, if you're an exile who remains silent and do your role that you are not political and what is now customary, because they treat you well. Everyone ignores him, if you're an exile , especially one anticastrista- exile then have to pay a price. A price of silence, little promotion of your work is.
I've always thought that the attitude one has always pay a price, and if you pay must be paid.
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