| Abstract | Tania Bruguera gained much attention in the press in 2015 for her artistic activity in Cuba following the thawing of relations with the United States. While much of the critical discourse has focused on the Hannah Arendt International Institute of Artivism, her project #YoTambienExijo has not been satisfactorily approached as a work of art in its own right. After composing a letter to Barack Obama, Fidel Castro, and the Pope, Bruguera intended to perform her work Tatlin?s Whisper #6 (originally staged in 2009) in the Plaza de Revoluci?n. For this performance, each participant is given one minute to speak freely and be heard. This is a significant action in Cuba, where there is no freedom of speech. However, she was denied the permit to publicly assemble and was arrested after attempting to stage the performance without official permission. The social media platform #YoTambienExijo was launched in conjunction with this attempted performance, a phrase (which translates to ?I also demand) that was taken from Bruguera?s letter. Following Bruguera?s initial arrest, she was marked as a dissident by the government and was subsequently followed, interrogated, and harassed by police and government officials. In April of 2015, various art institutions in the United States and Europe staged performances of Tatlin?s Whisper #6. #YoTambienExijo ends with the return of Bruguera?s passport, a designation supported by Bruguera?s concept of political specific timing.I assert that the attempted performance by Bruguera in Cuba, the social media activity tied to the platform #YoTambienExijo, and the numerous performances in April of 2015 constitute a distinct and unique work of art as opposed to a simple re-performance of Tatlin?s Whisper #6. The directorial role of the artist in socially oriented, participatory art is examined in the context of #YoTambienExijo. After placing #YoTambienExijo in an art historical framework, I conclude by discussing the significance of the piece as a powerful political and artistic action. #YoTambienExijo not only opened a space for discussion in the midst of censorship, but it also exposed the contradictions between idealistic socialist rhetoric and allowed Cubans to provide an alternative voice in the historical narrative of their country.--Abstract. |
