Memorias de la Obsolescencia

The Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation Europa (CIFO Europa), in collaboration with the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wilfredo Lam and the Consejo Nacional de Artes Plásticas, proudly presented Memorias de la Obsolescencia: Selección de Videos en la Colección de Ella Fontanals-Cisneros at the prestigious Centro LAM in Havana. This significant event took place from September 1 to December 1, 2013, marking a milestone in the Havana art scene.

Memorias de la Obsolescencia features a curated selection of the Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection video works, showcasing artists from diverse nationalities and backgrounds. These pieces were chosen for their ability to interrogate the medium of video itself. Ranging from documentation to fiction, the works employ hybrid narrative forms that explore the integration of time within their artistic practice. Each piece reflects on events—past or present—highlighting the cause and effect of actions and establishing a strong connection with performance art, emphasizing the present within visual objects' materiality.

The artists, who are the heart and soul of this exhibition, draw on a rich tapestry of historical references. Their works are influenced by early video experiments from the 1960s and 1970s, intersecting with conceptual art and feminist movements that address issues of sexual and ethnic identity. This exhibition underscores the complexities of contemporary cultures influenced by anthropological perspectives and challenges viewers to consider the dynamics of urban space and the narratives shaping our history.

Curated by Jesús Fuenmayor, this exhibition is the second initiative of the newly established CIFO Europa. As a branch of CIFO Miami, it aims to further the foundation's mission of fostering cultural exchange in the visual arts and promoting contemporary Latin American art.

Artists

Marina Abramović, Francis Alÿs, Alexander Apóstol, Donna Conlon, Song Dong, Jimmie Durham, Cao Fei, Magdalena Fernández, Regina José Galindo, Leandro Katz, Suwon Lee, Ana Mendieta, Yoshua Okón, Miguel Ángel Ríos, Nicolás Robbio, Julian Rosefeldt, Melanie Smith, Francesca Woodman.