1st Biennial of Asunción, Paraguay [2015]
As part of the project CubaCreativa [2014]
ABSTRACT
Creativity is the capacity of human beings to generate new ideas. It tends to flourish in extreme moments or moments of crisis, although not exclusively. When creativity emerges as a response to emergency or scarcity conditions, it acquires predominance in all areas of cultural, economic, and social organization, as is the case of Cuba. This artistic research project focuses on social creativity, heritage, tradition, popular culture, and the culture of survival. Each presentation of this collaborative and multimedia project varies in both format and media, from the organization of a seminar, an academic publication, or an interactive installation.
CubaCreativa [TA’ ANGARYRYI ATY] is composed of 8 videos that relate to reuse, repair, and subway economy. These are practices documented in two Paraguayan cities, Asunción and Ciudad del Este. The latter is a border enclave between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, where there is a strong informal and labor market.
STATEMENT
In the last eight years, I have developed an artistic and research project in different international contexts called CubaCreativa. This project pays special attention to social actions and phenomena that constitute innovation practices. It is interested in documenting the processes or procedures with which creative solutions are reached, given that these in themselves can be infinitely repeated, readapted, and enhanced to the socio-cultural characteristics of each context and its economic circumstances. In that sense, more than the resulting physical object, it is the process and the singularity of social thought that is the focus of interest.
CubaCreativa is also interested in showing local practices and phenomena related to the informal economy, alternative networks, and creative individuals or groups that work beyond the artistic field. Taking Cuban reality as a reference, the project explores, documents, and archives the terms and concepts used in each culture to refer to creative practices. In this way, it makes visible how these creative alternatives are the product of a tradition or have emerged from a culture of survival and how art can intervene in these spaces and creative processes.
CubaCreativa has the potential to grow connected to the daily life of the context in which it is developed. As part of his research, Nestor Siré has formed a photographic and videographic archive in constant development, documenting creative practices worldwide. The artist has given this archive the name iA [Informal Archive]. It is online, in wiki format, and makes social creativity and its global connections visible.
TA’ ANGARYRYI ATY means “Mixture of image” in Guarani, which is the official language of this South American country, together with Spanish. It is the closest to the original title of the Combos de Video project, as the term combo has no equivalent in this language.
The videos are focused on economic activities outside the law and on inventions that emerge in the institutional and domestic spheres that provide answers to the setbacks and problems of everyday life. CubaCreativa [TA’ ANGARYRYI ATY] is composed of 8 videos related to reuse, repair and subway economy. These are practices documented in two Paraguayan cities, Asunción and Ciudad del Este. The latter is a border enclave between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, where there is a strong informal and labor market.
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