The Lens

Willy Castellanos’ post-documentary practice emerged from the photographic record he made in Havana, Cuba, during the 1994 Rafter Crisis. Despite the scarcity of 35mm film in the years following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Castellanos photographed complete sequences of events that included the construction of the rafts, farewell rituals, and scenes of crowds launching into the sea. Between August and September 1994, over 35,000 Cubans embarked toward the United States on hand-built rafts in what became one of the most dramatic exoduses in contemporary history.

A decade ago, the exhibition Exodus: Alternate... Continue reading Willy Castellanos: Exodus. Alternate Documents, 1994–2024

An extension of Bridges Not Walls, an arts and culture exchange program, Through A Stranger’s Eyes brings together two Cuban and two American artists who met in Havana, Cuba, in 2017. The exhibition includes photographs and narrative components of the Cubans’ journey to the United States and the Americans’ impression of Havana after dozens of trips and thousands of photographs taken during their visits. From the perspective of the Americans, M. Katherine Hurley and Jens Rosenkrantz Jr., Cuba is a time capsule of the 1950s with old cars, crumbling buildings, empty shelves, and long lines. Having relocated to the United States,... Continue reading Through A Stranger’s Eyes

Years ago, Cuban-born artist Juan-Si González traveled through Missouri and stumbled on a sign: “Burger King, Cuba, 3 Miles.” The ironic juxtaposition led him to investigate. He later found 16 small towns called Cuba in the United States, most founded around the time of the Spanish-American War. Born out of that surprising discovery, Looking for Cuba Inside is a multimedia installation that moves like a travel diary along the walls of the gallery. It is a montage of documentary images and an absurd chronicle, oscillating constantly between memory, reality, reportage, and fiction.

The... Continue reading Juan-Si González: Looking for Cuba Inside

Finnish-American photographer Arno Rafael Minkkinen presents Afterwords, an exhibition of photographs with accompanying texts about their making. Over five decades ago, Minkkinen embarked on a personal quest to perfect a single concept: unmanipulated, nude self-portraits in communion and counterpoint with nature and urban settings. Minkkinen makes environmental portraits; however, his subject matter is always himself in dialogue with the environment. Curator: William Messer, Independent Curator Continue reading Afterwords: 50 years in Words and Images by Arno Rafael Minkkinen

What Came Before is an open call exhibition where nascent artists in the Cincinnati area feature photographs that capture their origin stories. In examining what forces shape their personal development, selected photographers demonstrate the ebb and flow of cause and effect. Glimpses of the past provide insight into the present, illustrating the nebulous notion of “self,” which is constantly being constructed, deconstructed, and then reconstructed. What Came Before is designed to facilitate collaboration between young creatives in the Cincinnati area.

Curator: Sharee Allen, Adjunct Professor of Photography

Continue reading What Came Before