Holguín’s Photography Exhibition: Profits and Longings

By Amauris Betancourt.

Translation: Juan Carlos Dominguez.

(August 15) "The Holguín 2009 Contest Photography Exhibition embraces marked technical and conceptual differences," asserted Rene Silveira, a Santiago de Cuba born photographer and jury president in the eighth edition, "but its importance relies on the fact of keeping many of the works presented here as a good example of what it is being done for the sake of art photography in Holguin." Yoxi Velazquez, a graduate from the “El Alba” professional academy of visual arts, was awarded the first prize for the second time in a row. Her work makes the difference in the exhibition.

Her images seduce bidirectionally. Firstly they achieve aesthetic empathy deployed in the right use of the grey scales in a beautiful and interesting way for whoever looks for beauty in a photo. Secondly, because she handles very well polysemantic resources that awake many folded interpretations. The simple thing and the complex one, creatively, come together with fondness and call the eye of those demanding either extreme.

Maikel Dominguez and Ernesto Blanco Sanciprian got the second and third prizes for the works “El hombre que intenta hacer uso de sus necesidades primarias” and “Untitled,” respectively.

On the other hand, Maikel and Ernesto based their images on technical fusions. They transfer painting expressive resources to photography and record through the use of light scenes anchored in enunciated social and conceptual aesthetics. The former interact from the theme; the latter, from a much more complex scope, adds ontological metatexts to a subtle photographic visual practice in optics and planes.

Photographer Amauris Betancourt received Mention for a group of works he presented. Alexander Sanchez with “Nina sin muneca” (Girl without dolls) which is framed within the documental picture, and Carlos Ferra with "Performance" showing a balanced composition in rhythm and contrast got mentions too.

The 8th Picture Exhibition showed some 32 works belonging to 16 artists of the lens, and in spite of the poor participation, it was rich in its diversity of themes and technique which came from the most traditional practices to the most modern ones. Just a few creators from the municipalities of Banes and Gibara participated in the annual and provincial competition, what must lead to reconsideration for future events.

The larger presence of photographers in the jury must be praised, what was longed by experts since the event’s start.

The Holguin Picture Contest is about to turn a decade, and a good way of enriching it would be reconsidering new approaches. It may embrace a central theme along with another free one, or achieve as well the presentation of several photographic exhibitions. We could dream of an international event if we take into account the number photographers that usually take part in different cultural events in Holguin province.

The Salon means lectures, talks, but peoples’ little attendance, that is why, promotion should be on the spot, not to mention more organization and material support.

The Holguin Photography Contest appointment will come back next year and we must work harder in order to make it turn into the creative event that many Cuban provinces yearn.