Pescando en aguas internacionales [Fishing in International Waters]

Much contemporary Cuban art deals explicitly with Cuba’s physical and political isolation. Rodríguez’s proposal for an installation takes this on with considerable humor. The artist developed an alter-ego in his work, a blind veteran of the Revolution called Francisco de la Cal, who in this watercolor is trying desperately to find an international context and response. For an island surrounded by water, the notion of “international waters” is a powerful one, particularly in light of the disputed and tragic ninety miles that separate the coasts of Cuba and Florida.