Religion and politics in Loudspeaker against the wall of the National Museum

Esterio Segura prepared the solo exhibition "Loudspeaker Against the Wall," featuring various works from the diverse projects he has developed since 1990. These medium and large-format pieces, installations, and sculptures are currently on display at the Cuban Art building of the National Museum of Fine Arts until November 25. After its time at the museum, "Loudspeaker Against the Wall" will travel throughout the country, showcasing a combination of the techniques explored by the artist, including drawing, painting, altarpiece, sculpture, ceramics, and installations in various formats. The exhibition delves into the conceptual dimensions of the artist's work and symbols such as Christ, Pinocchio, the sickle, and the flying devices invented by him. Among the pieces, visitors can again see the sculptures of Karl Marx or Jesus Christ that played significant roles in a pivotal scene from the renowned film "Fresa y Chocolate" by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío. The 1999 piece "Loudspeaker Against the Wall" features a life-sized sculpture of a man standing, from whose mouth wires protrude, forming a large silent speaker, muted because this installation addresses the desire for communication with others, highlighting how that desire often turns into silence and failure. As the artist remarked during the exhibition's opening: "Since before Plato to the present day, humanity has questioned what we are, why we are here, and where we are going. To answer these questions, communication among people is essential. It is the only way to find the true answers. The theme of communication is a crucial part of my work and of myself. The need for communication with others is even present in abstract works. It is a premise that each artist grapples with. Not just contemporary communication, but understanding among people." Esterio describes himself as eclectic, although perhaps his large-format installations are the most recognized aspect of his work, especially when he draws on the religious, totemic, and leader-centric traditions of our culture, inevitably engaging with themes of religion, politics, and false values.