Damaris Betancourt “HABANA SIGLO XXI”

I left Havana over 30 years ago. Every time I visit my neighborhood, I realize that not only have friends and neighbors gradually moved away, but the places of my childhood and early youth are also disappearing more and more amid neglect and ruins. To draw attention to this phenomenon, I came up with the idea in 2010 to create a visual report on the current state of affairs, because photography is first and foremost a record of its time and, like a tiny piece of a giant puzzle, helps to complete our view of history. Looking at Cuba today, it is hard for many to imagine that during the Industrial Revolution, the island underwent an enormous technological modernization that reached its peak during the republican period following independence from Spain. Yet historical and visual records bear witness to this. Among other things, the expansion and development of the sugar industry contributed to the economic boom. These factors, combined with the island’s privileged location, turned Havana into a cosmopolitan metropolis and the center of a remarkable cultural life. I grew up in Havana in the 1970s and 1980s. Back then, the city still showed some glorious remnants of what it once was. It was wonderful to stroll through the city and lose track of time as I explored its nooks and crannies. Standing there by the sea and feeling the salty breeze on my face was as close to happiness as I could get. Today, however, when I walk through the city, I am overcome by a deep sadness. Havana, which once served as a refuge for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, is now witnessing its neighborhoods and homes become increasingly deserted. Just 506 years after its founding, the city is disappearing like a sandcastle exposed to a storm. It is as if, exhausted by indifference and neglect, it has decided to rid itself of its buildings and avenues. This is not an ode to Havana, but a requiem. It is a collection of places, moments, and coincidences that reveal themselves there. It is a chronicle of creeping decay, an attempt to capture the city where I was born before it disappears for good. Damaris Betancourt

Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.