To the imperishable art refers the Latin phrase Ars longa, title of the personal exhibition of José Ángel Toirac (Guantánamo, 1966), which brings for the first time to the Cuban public his controversial Series New Times, made by the artist between the years 1995 and 1997, when the Island went through what was called "Special Period."
And, despite having spent more than two decades of its gestation, the set of works retains the meaning with which this author who now exhibits his work in the Cuban Art Building of the National Museum of Fine Arts, for having won in 2018 the National Plastic Arts Award.
The difficult economic situation that the country went through at that time, led to the opening of tourism and the realization of trade agreements that gave more prompt entry to leading companies in the field of international consumption. Such an unavoidable paradox is that reflected Toirac in his pieces, by having political and advertising symbols coexist on the same canvas.
To the contradiction between identity and the foreign, these works which points, as Jorge Fernández Torres, director of the MNBA pointed out in the opening, the subjugating resistance symbol that is the image of Fidel is always imposed.
Such purpose of the author is made explicit in the Martian thought located at the entrance of the room where the Series: The world is inserted in our republics, but the trunk must be that of our republics is exhibited.
Most recent reinterpretations of these pieces in the Waiting for The Right Time Series (2019) and numerous documents that served as a source of inspiration were also included in the sample that, curated by Corina Matamoros and the artist himself, can be visited until next February
On the cover: Detail of the New Times Series (1995-97)
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