As an American, it’s hard to imagine being stuck on an island without basic needs, under the oppressive rule of a communist regime. But for millions of Cubans, that’s been their reality since the ‘60s.
Under an embargo and the rule of an authoritarian government, the Cuban people are unable to procure many basic needs. Designer Ernesto Oroza exposes the inventive solutions people from his native Havana created under these severe economic confines in his first Midwestern exhibit, “Architecture of Necessity.” The thoughtful exhibit at UWM’s Inova gallery consists of essays, photographs, videos and collected and reconstructed objects.
In order to survive, people created provisional objects and utilitarian modular furniture from repurposed or artificial materials. “At the beginning of the ‘90s, people made objects to satisfy their own needs,” Oroza says. “But quickly, individuals and families with more ability understood that they could make small commercial productions in their homes and then people became dedicated to selling pieces to repair common objects that everyone used.”
Though his inspiration is born from desperate circumstances, his work also celebrates the power of true imagination and human perseverance. “I have seen many incredible objects and I learned that the imagination on that island has no limits,” Oroza says. “I have collected and registered many artifacts that are most visible and accessible, but there are some gestures harder to show, like in the case of transforming the home.”
Though private production is illegal, people would create common home items like cups and lamps as well as make structural modifications. For example, there is a restriction on putting an exterior stairway on a home after dividing it into two levels. People found sneaky solutions that fell outside of the law – like a removable stairwell – to avoid fines.
I asked Oroza if his art has the power to affect change in the government. He offers a doubtful response: “My work doesn’t have that power. There are other artists who have brought some instability to the system, or at least uncovered its repressive nature. I am speaking of Sandra Ceballos, Ovni Zona Franca y recently the punk band Porno para Ricardo.”
It’s sad, but, at the same time, triumphant and fascinating.
Oroza currently resides in Miami, but returns to Cuba regularly to visit family. Inova will also publish an edition of Oroza’s Tabloids, an ongoing project that conveys ideas and visual information in an inexpensive and widely distributable format.
There are two other concurrent exhibitions at Inova: Neither Plenitude Nor Vacancy: New Work by Matthew Girson and Jeanne Dunning’s Me Not Me, a 24-minute video series of re-enactments of doctor-patient interactions from medical literature. Girson’s austere paintings, fonts and drawings explore the artist’s interest in the limits of perception and knowledge. The exhibits are on view at Inova (2155 N. Prospect Ave.) through March 13.
