I know you address the line in various forms, in various artistic areas, why you chose this path as an artist?
Django Hernandez: Well, certainly the foundation of my practice begins in Cuba from 1996 to 2003 and all I did was drawing. Well, it was an artistic strategy was the only way to do something in a very simple way, with a very austere economy of means I began to draw, write a diary, which was based on my daily observations of the reality of my neighbors. All papers found for this group of works, more than 5,000, were found. Then, every day went to the street to find scraps of paper that could be used to draw later. And from that moment in 2003, when I decide to come to Europe brought with me that pile of drawings. With this body I realized what I had done all these years, so it becomes the basis of what will be my next five years work. From a process of recontextualization all these comments, all these projects and dreams had developed a totally different situation. The design becomes that way of seeing reality, let's say, a very simple way ...
And basic.
DH: Yes, basic, with many references to the classical concept of an artist. This base of fantasy, of facing the idea of a blank paper. I wanted to try several ways to translate a drawing in a more contemporary context. That is what I was living, experiencing and therefore there beginning to weave what is design in a sculpture, especially, seeing it as a fragment. So I develop so much work thinking about it, this item is not included in the exhibition, or the design, but it is the missing element. This exhibition as it travels, also reports all of these alternatives I found in the drawing. Retaining the idea of fragmentation, or elements that are incomplete fragments envisioned that continue despite stretching, but they appear in front of the viewer as a single element. In the case of photography is for me a close example of this approach, which we all see when we see an aerial photograph of the city. They continue these cut fragments without a specific format. And when I start adding items to these maps, which are radio brands produced in Europe, there goes my desire to see them not as an object but as an opportunity to travel to an area where there are obvious limitations and understand us.
Like Hertzian waves?
DH: Exactly. Then there are other works that speak of this fragmentation, and these elements are the pillars for others, of a ladder that was never built, and I found in a second hand market of used objects where this carpenter was selling these fragments, these elements of objects that never were build. This meeting was very subjective because my work also speaks of the inability to do something; the drawing was the only possibility, for example, to imagine an object. Thus, together, as these elements papers also found in Germany. Here I use the typical paper use in a construction, by the engineer or master-builder must provide a report of what was built and is a resource that was used long before the beginning of the computer, since virtually was no longer use this type of document format. This is a very fragmented reality, there is a group of construction drawings that refer to all types of buildings, or almost everything related to the interior of the house, there are elements of stairs, interior and domestic spaces.
You are still looking for the lines in the street, but it's different. Now the space is Europe, which is more organized, more compact, which is different at all related with Cuba.
DH: Yes, as I have traveled now I see my isolated position, where I was in Cuba. When you jump to the continent, where everything is connected and articulated, I think it has a definite impact on how I see art today. It is a very well structured and linked not only with the political reality of a country, but it is a reality entwined with the history of art. Then there is a fundamental change to get out of the context, say my focus on a specific situation, place, determined with the Cuban reality. And then I can get close to other topics that belong more to the history of art, as well as that source is political. It is a concept that, in Latin America and, due to historical reasons the history of art is very fragmented, especially in Europe, art is seen as continuity, as an unbroken tradition. And this tradition was my biggest challenge to insert myself in this tradition, with my language, my ideas from the isolation of Cuba is harder to do. Therefore, all these speeches peripheral issues: What is the focus? Who are we? That in other opportunities were closer to the European tradition, but with other political and economic conditions in my case, in Latin America. The situation of the artists in Europe is totally different, and especially when the Latin American artist understands that political issues are inherent to the arts. And here the political responsibility is very detached from this reality.
But now, with the economic growth of South America, also the art world evolved. Before the art of Latin America was seen as something secondary, now things have changed. But you feel it or not? You felt you were considered a second hand artist?
DH: I felt that a lot, even if what you said about the last few years in relation to Latin American art that has gained some positions.
Yes, some names appear on the market for sale, but before was almost nothing.
DH: That's true, but that has to do with the whole process of globalization. In the case of those names they emigrated, they came to the U.S. and Europe constantly and worked with galleries or institutions that are entirely of the first world. For me, the issue of arts education in Europe is very solid, which is implanted in the review of arts education. In Latin America it is an education not only isolated from the European context, or the U.S., but also from Latin American schools. It is very difficult to find a school where they speak about Latin American artists of the 50s, or 60s. And also does not exists a critical source, or if there is one it is very limited. There is no large critical journalism, or if there is a minimum, especially for contemporary art. And when you see everything that is produced in terms of art and art criticism in the societies of the first world, the difference is huge.
