By Geandy Pavón in commemoration of the first anniversary of Orlando Zapata Tamayo's death.
This is an Art-Performance by Cuban born artist Geandy Pavon, it consist in a digital projection of Franklin Brito on the facade of the Venezuelan Consulate in New york city, Brito was a venezuelan farmer and engineer who die in a hunger strike asking for the lands that were taken arbitrarily from him by the government of Hugo Chavez. He is become a symbol of the struggle for freedom in Venezuela.
In Greek mythology, “nemesis” represents divine justice ─a persecutory memory.
He has staged performances like this one in New York, Barcelona and Washington, proyecting the image of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, an Afro Cuban plumber and peaceful activist, died last February of a hunger strike.
Cuban-born artist Geandy Pavón has taken his art-protest “Némesis” to Madrid. The performance consists of digitally projecting onto the façade of buildings the image of Cuban political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo, who recently succumbed to a hunger strike.
In Greek mythology, “Némesis” represents divine justice─a persecutory memory. With this creation, Pavón “imposes the face of the victim upon the assassin, using light as an analogy of truth, reason, and justice.”
The performance has been made in New York, Washinton, and Barcelona before. At this time, Pavón dedicated the event "To the memory of Olga Guillot, and all the Cubans who died in the hope of seeing a free Cuba".
“Nemesis” goes to Washington: Art Protest in Memory of Cuba’s Orlando Zapata Tamayo
posted on Monday, May 24, 2010Last Thursday May 20th, on the anniversary of Cuba’s independence from Spain, Pavón took his act to the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C. The stately building, located at 2630 16th street, N.W., houses Cuba’s diplomatic mission to the United States, officially represented by the Swiss Embassy. See short video at
The artist first unveiled his art-protest last March 19th in New York city on the façade of the Cuban Mission to the United Nations. On April 8th, he projected it onto the Cuban Consulate in Barcelona.
Orlando Zapata died on February 23rd 2010 after an 85-day hunger strike in protest of appalling prison conditions. Incarcerated since 2003 for nonviolent opposition activities, the Afro-Cuban plumber demanded conditions comparable to those Fidel Castro had during his 18-month confinement under the Batista dictatorship for leading a 1953 armed attack against a military barracks. Mr. Zapata is the 12th political prisoner known to have died of a hunger strike during the course of the Castro regime.
Geandy Pavón is one of the motors behind an internet letter campaign for the release of Cuba’s political prisoners that has attracted worldwide support, including from many international celebrities. Born in Cuba in 1974, he lives in New Jersey since his 1996 exile from Cuba. His father was a political prisoner there for 18 years. Pavón graduated from Cuba’s National School of Fine Arts in Havana and exhibited in numerous venues in Cuba. He was part of the independent group “La Campana,” formed in 1998 to produce dissident art critical of the censorship and lack of freedom permeating Cuban society. Since his exile, he has held many solo and group exhibitions in New York City, Miami, Mexico, and other locations. His artistic talent and production have been recognized in the media and art publications and he has lectured at galleries and universities. His work can be found in private and public collections throughout Mexico, Cuba, and the U.S. (See www.geandypavon.com.)
See link for letter campaign on behalf of Cuba’s political prisoners on this blog.
For a summary of deaths of Cuban political prisoners from hunger strike, see
Cuba Archive
Contact:
Geandy Pavon
geandy.pavon@gmail.com
Cuban artist Geandy Pavón brought his project of artistic protest, Némesis, named after the Ancient Greek goddess of divine justice, to Washington D.C. on 20 May 2010, Cuban Independence Day. He projected the image of Orlando Zapata Tamayo on the façade of the Cuban Section of Interests in the United States capital.
The first Némesis event was the one on 19 March 2010 in New York City when OZT's image was projected on the façade of the Cuban diplomatic representation to the UN.
The 20 May performance was dedicated to Guillermo Fariñas and all Cuban peaceful opposition activists.
