PHOTO GALLERY
An Evening Con Ana
In the setting of Nereida Garcia Ferraz’s Open Studio on 40th Street, the public program “Con Ana” celebrated the life and work of the Cuban-born multidisciplinary artist Ana Mendieta. Mendieta’s art explored the connection between the human body and natural landscapes. The program included a glimpse into two of Mendieta’s video projections, Creek (1974) and Ochún (1981), followed by a presentation of the documentary film “Ana Mendieta: Fuego de Tierra”. The projections offered a look into the physical and natural connection as well as a commentary about Mendieta’s experience as a Cuban immigrant in South Florida. Neredia Garcia Ferraz discussed the making of the film and her friendship with Mendieta. The film covers Mendieta’s remarkable body of work and contextualizes Mendieta’s work around themes of exile and the indivisibility between humans and nature. The screening was followed by a 10-minute-long improvisational solo performance by the Cuban percussionist Otto Santana. The piece, dedicated to Mendieta, was a memorable closure to the evening.