Join us for a panel discussion with Elizabeth Thompson Goizueta, Cristina Figueroa Vives, and María Martínez-Cañas surrounding the roles of archives and primary sources in researching, writing, and exhibiting the history of Cuban modernism.
Taking Modern Cuban Painters: From Havana to New York Revisited as a point of departure, the panelists will discuss the research and writing processes behind the project and the ways archival materials helped reconstruct the artistic exchanges between Havana and New York during the 1940s. The conversation will consider the José Gómez Sicre Visual Archive and its integration into the exhibition, alongside specific case studies that reveal how primary sources can expand, complicate, and sometimes challenge established art-historical narratives. Drawing on their distinct research experiences, the panelists will also reflect on the particularities of working with archives in Cuba and abroad, the stewardship of personal collections, and the ethical questions involved in interpreting and presenting private documents within scholarly and curatorial contexts.
Image caption: Mariano Rodríguez, El desayuno (The Breakfast), 1943. Oil on canvas, 30 ½ x 41 inches. Claude and María Ruibal Collection. © Mariano Rodríguez Estate. Photo: Cora Jean Rafe.