Cuba bears the scars of 500 years of occupation. It is the only country that has survived Spanish Colonialism, slavery, American occupation as well as several brutal dictatorships and revolutions. The way the county landscape has evolved owes a lot to the politics of the time. The series “I am Cuba” explores the development and transition of architecture in Cuba from a pre-Revolutionary boom of the “Golden Age” throughout the 30s and 40s, to the Revolutionary optimism signifying the height of innovation and creativity, followed by disenchantment and a more utilitarian approach throughout the communist era.

This body of work encourages the viewer to experience Cuba’s political, economic, and ideological development through these enduring structures and what they once embodied and represented.

The viewer is not only provided with a deeper understanding of each construction and its connection to the time, but is also left with a lingering question of what the future holds in store next for Cuba? Fidel Castro said to his wife when introduced to her for the first time, “I am Cuba”. Two years after Fidel Castro’s death, we are still waiting to see what the future holds for the incredible island. What is Cuba, now?