Afro-Cuba: Contemporary Art and Ritual Symposium
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Delve into the world of Afro-Cuban art and ritual at a free symposium.
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) is hosting a free, one-day symposium titled Afro Cuba: Contemporary Art and Ritual on Friday, August 16 from noon to 3:30 p.m. This event explores Afro-Cuban culture through presentations and discussions led by renowned scholars.
The symposium delves into the connections between contemporary Afro-Cuban art and the complex history of Afro-Cuban religious practices. Through a variety of approaches, including aesthetics, ethnography, history and socio-cultural studies, attendees will gain insights into the works of contemporary Black Cuban artists.
The lineup of presentations includes three talks by prominent academics:
- Stephan Palmié (author and Edna and Norman Freehling Professor of Anthropology at the University of Chicago) will discuss the enduring influence of ethnographer Lydia Cabrera's groundbreaking work, "El monte," on the understanding of Afro-Cuban rituals.
- Elizabeth Pérez (author and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara) will explore the evolving artistic depictions of the Yorùbá-inspired deities known as orishas, from traditional iconography to contemporary visual art and the rise of AI-generated imagery.
- Odette Casamayor-Cisneros (author, Associate Professor of Latin American & Caribbean Cultural Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and the Inaugural Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Presidential Fellow at the University of Miami’s Cuban Heritage Collection) will examine the works of contemporary Afro-Cuban women artists, focusing on how they deconstruct traditional notions of race, gender and national identity through their artistic practices.