Abstract

A Cuban bar is an important social venue, a meeting place that seems to escape the otherwise strict monitoring of daily life experienced by many Cubans. Both satellite television and Internet connections are illegal, the jokes and stories of the bar is part of the informal exchange of information and rumor.

In this spirit, Bar Candela is a platform for artistic and cultural expressions and communication based on the Cuban immigrant situation in Europe and else where. It is part of our artistic collaboration and dialogue which also involves exhibitions, organizing of workshops and production with other artists. The Bar Candela is an intervention in a functioning bar and features music, video and performance connected to Cuban contemporary culture as it is now developing outside and inside of Cuba.

Bar Candela brings together local participants and guests as well live Internet communication with Cuban immigrants elsewhere. This practice first arose when we wanted to invite some musician friends based in different parts of Europe to come and play together with us in Stavanger, Norway. We discovered they were not able to travel as they did not have the necessary legal status. We set up a situation for them to meet and play for each other .

We are at the moment developing documentation from two Bar Candela events from this fall and planning a third event mid-December.

It has been crucial to our project that the technology involved should be easily accessible, cheap and easy to use for people without any special technical knowledge. So far we have used Skype and Sightspeed and tested similar options, but we would enjoy discussing other options and possibilities for our practice

 
Kristin Bergaust Biography

Alexis Parra Biography

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