P002 → Eterna Rumba [3 Channel Excerpt]
2024
"Eterna Rumba" is an immersive multi-channel archival video installation that encapsulates a singular movement drawn from a traditional Cuban dance. Originating from the rhythms of Cuban Son, a musical legacy born from the creativity of Black Cubans in Santiago, this piece freezes in time the architectural body in perpetual motion.
The dancers transcend conventional settings, – from patios to streets and indoor basketball courts. Each scene invites viewers into a trance-like experience, where the circular motion of the performers mesmerize, drawing them into a poetic exploration of movement and trust. Guided by their partners, they navigate a dance of intimacy and connection, embodying a timeless love poem woven through the fabric of movement and play.
The work plays with the historical notion of “rumba” as seen by the american audience dating back to the early 1900’s. The exotification and subsequent exploitation of the island by foreigners was at the forefront of Cuba’s marketing efforts through light-skinned pin-up models and the invitation for white debauchery.
“Rumba” is not a dance, but rather a brand made up by americans. The installation serves to simultaneously highlight the joy, individuality, and skill of the Afro-Cuban dancers, while also acknowledging the history of performativity, exploitation, and exotification of Afro-Cuban culture.