From now until April, the Belkin Art Gallery over on Main Mall is hosting an impressive exhibit on Cuban contemporary art. And wow, was it contemporary. From a 25 minute-long clip of a woman seductively licking a cactus (not sure what this had to do with anything) to a powerpoint showing the overtly hidden sociological research conducted by Cuban university students which disclosed failed economic policies and staggering poverty levels in Havana, this exhibit very clearly showed a collective, however inherently dyadic, sentiment among Cuban nationals. The gallery’s title, The Spaces Between, assumedly refers to the conflicting identities which Cubans struggle with as they live in communism yet are surrounded by globalized, capitalist societies on all sides. Many of the pieces attempted to deal with these complex “spaces” involved in identity construction by confronting the hypocrisy and corruption encountered on a daily basis.

Several works in particular struck me as embodiments of these spaces. Jorge Wellesley is a native artist whose simple yet compelling style serves to reveal the dualities which ominously weave their way through Cuban life. Truth 0023, Truth, Realidad, y Lenguaje Astigmatismo (2005) is a series of three prints which, seemingly transparently, align one or two words in white type along a black background. The prints manipulate language in correlation with the dichotomy of Cuban politics: Exit/Exito visually leaves no gray space to consider. On a deeper level, it contemplates the associations of Cuban identity amidst oppression. Exit, meaning to leave, and Exito, the Spanish word for success, equally scrutinize the hardship of Cubans who wish to escape Communism and who expect greater prospects by assimilating to Westernization but who are faced with strict political radicalism. Human rights in Cuba are a major problem and the injustices further the covert gray areas of political identification.

To further my point, I’ll also put into perspective a video from the same gallery by Javier Castro called La Edad Del Oro (2012). The short film interviewed dozens of children asking them what they want to be when they grow up, and the answers ranged from astronauts and teachers to hookers and drug dealers. Yes, “hooker” coming from the mouth of an 8 year-old. Evidently, the reality in Cuba is that poverty operates with its own agency, whose authoritative strength maintains the socioeconomic weakness throughout an entire society. Identities developed as children, it seems, are established in the face of backwards regimes where there exists a lapse between what is communicated and what is comprehended, between the dreams they are told and the corruption and despair they witness every day.

However, recently these gray spaces seem to be evolving. The international news network Al Jazeera released an article explaining the latest endeavors of the Raúl Castro regime. While Latin American, Canadian, and European tourism have been fueling the isolated economy against all odds of decades of US embargoes, it appears that the island nation has decided to move towards a policy of international cooperation. An attempt to challenge US dominance could be potentially rewarding for Cuba, who hosted a summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) this January. Increasing support from the international community towards improving economic and human right conditions put a positive spin on years of stagnant resistance, but as of yet it is difficult to say just how Cuba can effectively push up against US sanctions. Perhaps in the near future, the gray areas expressed by Cubans will clarify with greater exposure to international trade and internal development. Solidarity and cooperation have seemed inconceivable in the face of punitive diplomacy, but these recent developments indicate a shift in both national and governmental sentiment towards progress: Exito may no longer require an Exit.