Untitled
From the series: The story belongs to the one who tells it
Acrylic ink on canvas
187 x 106 cm
Panopticon is a type of construction whose design makes it possible to observe the entire interior surface from a single point. This structure, therefore, facilitates the control of those who are inside the building. As a prison framework, it is a ring-shaped building in which the cells with exits to the interior and exterior are distributed. In the center there is a watchtower with a 360° vision designed so that the condemned from his isolation cannot see if there is someone inside to observe him. This makes the captive feel constantly veiled, achieving in him a conscious and permanent state of visibility that later influences his behavior. The application of the panopticon concept has evolved with the very development of society. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), search histories, cookies and the timeline are some forms of modern panopticon. From the mobile devices themselves we are controlled, generally, without knowing it. In this way, we become victims and vigilantes of ourselves. These concepts of social control, rape, and loss of intimacy are handled within the Panopticon exhibition and linked to the contemporary Cuban context, taking as background the artist's previous exhibitions La historia es de que la narrala, Domestic Things, and Big House. The Republic, a recurring heteronym in his work since 2016, is the central image of the exhibition: it acts as the watchdog axis around which the rest of the works and the spectators themselves orbit. The Cuban nation is understood as the homely house in which different points of view of the author take place and are exposed to make the public reflect and question reality itself.