“Under the Spell of the Palm Tree. The Rice Collection of Cuban Art” Q&A

During the run of Under the Spell of the Palm Tree: The Rice Collection of Cuban Art at the Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida (July 11, 2023–January 7, 2024), visitors and docents submitted a wide range of thoughtful questions. This initiative fostered dialogue and offered an opportunity to engage more deeply with Cuban art and its histories.

The curatorial team reviewed these submissions and welcomed the opportunity to continue the conversation. Below is a selection of questions from visitors and docents, paired with insights from Guest Curators Gabriela Azcuy and David Horta, in collaboration with Harn Museum Chief Curator and Curator of Modern Art Dulce Román.

Exhibition view. Under the Spell of the Palm Tree: The Rice Collection of Cuban Art at the Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida

I.

What was the biggest challenge in organizing the exhibition?

Gaby Azcuy: When working with a living collection that is still evolving and developing, reaching a final selection is complex. There were works that we acquired in December 2022 that we considered crucial to include, so we had to adjust the selection and exhibition design. Another significant challenge was ensuring that the selection of works represented all the voices within the Rice family, as there are two generations of collectors.

What was it like collaborating with each other to organize Under the Spell?

Gaby Azcuy: David and I have collaborated for several years, so we are familiar with our working dynamics. In this case, all the work was done remotely, with me in Spain and the United States, and him in Cuba. The first time we met in person during the entire exhibition preparation was at the Harn Museum for the Collectors’ Talk with Susie and Mitchell Rice on October 21st.

The first year of work was challenging due to the lack of connectivity for David in Pinar del Río, Cuba. However, we organized the different phases of preparing the exhibition and worked gradually. Once we jointly developed the curatorial concept, selected the artworks, and completed other exhibition phases, David played more of a consulting role, primarily due to geographical circumstances. We are very proud of the work we have done together.

What is the most important take-away from Under the Spell?

Gaby Azcuy: It is a deep survey of the 10-year development of the Rice Collection. This exhibition allows us to analyze ten years of work and the current status of the collection, as well as to outline future development directions. Additionally, it is a clear demonstration of the collection’s social vocation.

Which artwork was the most challenging to install and why?

Gaby Azcuy: The most challenging artwork to install was Fragmento arrancado (Torn Fragment) by Manuel Mendive. It is a highly complex sculpture with a sturdy metal base and a polyform shape made of brass, which is covered with canvas. The canvas itself is a mixed media piece that includes small objects. The total weight is approximately 400 lbs., making it delicate to touch due to the painted canvas and the softness of the brass. Additionally, lifting it by the base is challenging because of its height. Therefore, the installation required time, patience, and meticulous handling. The museum crew did an outstanding job with its installation.

Installation of the sculpture Fragmento arrancado by Manuel Mendive. Installed by the Harn Museum of Art team.

What is the significance behind the exhibition’s title and the works on display?

David Horta: The title of the exhibition comes from one of the works on display, the etching Bajo el hechizo de la palma (Under the Spell of the Palm Tree) by Cuban artist Sandra Ramos. The symbolism of both the title and the image in question transcends the specific meaning of individual works towards a kind of shared insight. The image of a royal palm tree (the national tree of Cuba) standing tall, solitary and proud against the winds, under the scorching sun and the threat of bolts of lightning and seasonal hurricanes, in the middle of a valley fenced in by sturdy mountains, is perhaps the most immediately recognizable identity symbol of the Cuban nation, or at least of how Cubans have perceived themselves, as well as their island nation’s destiny throughout the centuries. Such pride and resilience in the search for a sense of self and belonging, and such a daily struggle for independence, self-expression and survival under the most difficult circumstances, without losing the joy of beauty or the lucidity and clarity of purpose in the way, has characterized Cuban art since it embraced modernity in the late 1920s to this very day. The “spell” stands for how all this intrigued, then fascinated and finally engaged the Rices’ in starting a Cuban art collection and in supporting Cuban artists in the island and the diaspora, around a decade ago.

Why is spirituality a major theme present in this exhibition or in Cuban art in general?

David Horta: Despite six decades of politics and indoctrination based on the premises of the most orthodox Marxist ideological premises, the Cuban political status quo was never able to totally repress and erase the spirituality, and more specifically the religiosity of the Cuban people. The truth is that Cuba is a country with a very rich spiritual tradition. A very significant part of modern and contemporary Cuban art reflects to a greater or lesser extent the transcendent role that this spirituality has played in the daily life of Cubans, from the merely symbolic level to actual shared social practices and values and their repercussions on the ideological or political level, as evidenced in works as dissimilar as those by Wifredo Lam, Lázaro Saavedra, Diago or Belkis Ayón and Ángel Ramírez, on display at Under the Spell of the Palm Tree.

Sandra Ramos | Bajo el hechizo de la palma (Under the Spell of the Palm Tree), 1993 | Etching | 20 x 26 in

II.

Questions on Selected Artworks

The following questions highlight specific artworks from the exhibition and were raised by docents working closely in the galleries. Curators provided responses, with additional commentary from the artists and estates included when available.

Does Spectrum 1, from the series Spectrum: Order / Disorder by Liset Castillo, address LGBTQ+ rights or the queer movement in Cuba?

Liset Castillo | Spectrum 1, From the Series “Spectrum: Order / Disorder”, 2021 |16 powder pigment on translucent PdMA | 70 x 27 x 2 in.

Curators: While Spectrum 1 does not explicitly address LGBTQ+ rights or the queer movement, the work is open to multiple interpretations. The artist encourages viewers to engage freely with the piece. The work uses the full color spectrum and pure oil pigment to explore multiple facets of a single phenomenon. It reflects on the imposition of a singular political ideology and a rigid system of logic in Cuba. The artwork can be installed in multiple configurations, allowing the spectrum to shift and reconfigure.

A short video in which the artist discusses the work can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbqtuAdl1yo

Are there religious connotations in the triptych format and the use of gold leaf in Pintura de acción #2 (Action Painting #2), from the series El peso de las palabras (The Burden of Words) by José Ángel Vincench?

José Ángel Vincench | Pintura de acción #2 (Action Painting # 2), From the Series “El peso de las palabras” (The Burden of Words), 2015| Gold leaf on canvas | 78 ¾ x 118 ⅛ in.

Curators: The concept of the triptych and the use of gold leaf draw on the visual language of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. These elements are historically associated with power. The artist employs them as a pretext to address a specific political action. The painting may be interpreted as reflecting the ways in which the language of power relies on recognizable visual codes, which artists intentionally use to reinforce a commentary or idea.

Regarding Alimenta a mi gallo y se alimenta mi espíritu (Feed My Rooster and My Spirit Shall Be Fed) by Manuel Mendive, what is the significance and symbolism of the figure seated on a rooster? (This inquiry stems from an observer’s experience of seeing a sculpture in Cuba depicting a human figure seated on a rooster, prompting a comparison of meanings and cultural references.)

Manuel Mendive | Alimenta a mi gallo y se alimenta mi espíritu (Feed My Rooster and My Spirit Shall Be Fed), 1998 | Oil on canvas |

78  x 60 in.

In this case, the docent is referring to the sculpture in Plaza Vieja, Old Havana, by Roberto Fabelo, which depicts a woman seated on a rooster. Fabelo’s work is surreal in nature and does not reference Yoruba religion or Santería.

In contrast, Mendive’s work is deeply rooted in Afro-Cuban spiritual traditions. In Santería, the rooster is associated with the orisha Osun, a vigilant guardian and protector who offers guidance. In this context, the rooster carries spiritual significance rather than surreal or symbolic abstraction.

What is the object held by the Abakuá figure in Dando y dando (Give and Take) by Belkis Ayón and Ángel Ramírez?

Belkis Ayón and Ángel Ramírez | Dando y dando (Give and Take), 1997 | Collagraph | 82 x 78 in. | © Belkis Ayón Estate

Curators: In this work, each artist, through their characters, gives an attribute to the other. The object in question is adorned with Abakuá “signatures,” which constitute the sole visual representation method used by this society. Ayón may have been interested in making a direct reference to Abakuá tradition.

Artist Ángel Ramírez commented that, although he does not know exactly what the object is beyond being an attribute exchanged between the figures as a sign of dialogue, there is an Abakuá saying that applies: “Blanco, si no sabes no te metas” (“White person, if you don’t know, don’t get involved”).

The Belkis Ayón Estate commented that the symbol represents Mokongo. It is his emblem, and Mokongo is the “representative of supreme justice, military power, and chief of Efik; he swears that the mysteries of their religion will not be revealed.”

This information can be found in the Belkis Ayón raisonné catalog, at the end of page 241. The triangular shape of the tips appears to be an artistic addition made by Ayón to emphasize the object in the figure’s hand, as this symbol does not appear in primary sources in this form.