Exhibition by Julio Larramendi and Roberto Chile

The Casa de África Museum hosted the exhibition Ofrendas by Julio Larramendi, a prominent Cuban photographer with a monumental testimonial work on religious syncretism in Cuba, and Roberto Chile, a documentary filmmaker and photographer with a work that captures the reality of the path of Afro-descendants and their beliefs. .

On this occasion the presentation was made by Alberto Granado, director of the Casa de África, and Rafael Acosta de Arriba, Cuban poet and essayist. Both agreed on the constant search of these artists to show patriotic and cultural values that are present in Cubanness, religious freedom and beliefs as an expression of the popular and intellectual sentiments of the nation.
frendas, a space that shows us the route to the fertility of African culture and its path through these lands, takes us deeper into the understanding of the slave route and demands the habit and commitment to the defense of our identity.

The General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) proclaimed the International Decade of People of African Descent for the period between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2024, with a view to promoting the protection of the rights of people of African descent, recognize their contributions and preserve their valuable cultural heritage.

With a magnificent reception from the public and with the sounds of the drums in the streets, Roberto Chile kindly commented to Latin American Summary:

“Ofrendas is part of the activities to celebrate the 38th anniversary of the creation of this prestigious institution, the Africa House of Old Havana, founded by our distinguished historian Eusebio Leal Spengler on January 6, 1986, with a view to disseminating the culture and the art of Africa and highlight their traces in the Cuban identity.

“This time we meet a photographer who shows an inspiring faith in the deepest patriotic feelings and returns to a space that overflows with joy and enthusiasm.

“I was invited by Ernesto Granados, and by the photographer Julio Larramendi, I accepted the proposal to show some of my works inspired by our African roots, particularly those that are directly related to Cuban religious expressions of African origin, a topic that I have dealt with in my work from 2011 to the present.

"To do this I selected some photographs and sculptures that are part of my projects SOMOS and Raíces, magic and mysticism, some exhibited in Cuba, the United States, Germany and Colombia and others recently created."
Larramendi: “I have been working on the issue of Cuban identity for more than 25 years. Within that photographic and ethnographic study, I am fascinated by the history of the Cuban aborigines, the Chinese, and my latest passion is blackness in Cuba, which I have been focusing on in recent times. Together with Roberto Chile, a dear friend, who has also motivated him, we are working on the issue of the religiosity of Afro-Cuban cults.

“I feel lucky to participate in these cults and ceremonies that are sometimes unknown to many people. In this process I am passionate about photographing and interacting with them.”

RL: In your presentation you thank the artists who continue to work on the Island. That has a special merit due to the current economic conditions. The topic of spirituality calls us to study our faith as a tool of resistance and a look at our Afro-descendant cultural heritage, part of that motivation that is always worth rescuing. What do you propose with this exhibition?

Roberto Chile: “They are two views on the same theme, two simultaneous exhibitions that are not repeated but complement each other, two points that add to the work of other Cuban artists, to rescue and cultivate the essences of a nation: Cuba, appealing to their identity, their roots, their idiosyncrasies, their religious beliefs, their spirituality and their culture. Two offerings to our ancestors, which pay tribute to those men and women from the distant African continent who were torn from their lands and forcibly brought to our island as slaves, in one of the most horrendous pages in history.

“It is an honor for me to share a moment and space with my friend Julio Larramendi, whom I esteem and admire for his human qualities and his important work in favor of Cuban identity and culture. We both have the intention, and more than that, the purpose of working on a book on this topic and this is the first step we take towards that goal.

“Ofrendas is this two-handed attempt with Chile to offer a very brief overview of what is done today in Cuba in relation to these Afro-Cuban rites.”

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Julio Larramendi explains:

12 photographs
5 veils or silks
Roberto Chile explains:

Three black and white photos measuring 100 x 66 cm
Three black and white photos measuring 60 x 40 cm
A 150 x 150 cm collage mural containing 98 photographs
Yoruba altar, installation