At the beginning of September 2016 you held your first individual exhibition in the Diana Lowenstein Gallery in Miami. Taking into account more than half a century of tensions between Havana and Miami, why the metaphor of the mirror as a frame of reference?
What’s better than a mirror to grasp and reflect the reality of the moment? To move a mirror and see reflected from Miami the changes that take place in Havana. If we wanted to see it like that, in a mirror happens as in politics. The situations take place in seconds, volatile or eternal; always depending on the time we may be standing before the mirror or dedicated to a matter in particular… Ego-ismo (Ego-ism) is the title of one of the pieces I present in the exhibition. In this case, I offer the spectator a predetermined mirror with a text to provoke and dialogue with him. The image in itself tries to synthetize the present moment where some decisions weigh enough on the life of a great number of persons. Where the ego, that excessive appraisal of oneself, plus the ism, form a word with so strong connotations, whose heavy energy is enormously reverberating in society.
The suffix ism is of a Latin origin and forms male names based on adjectives or names which cover notions as doctrine, system, school or movement. As attitude or behavior, egoism increasingly acquires more relevance in our contemporaneity. From there it comes, increasingly in rise, lack of sensitivity and solidarity with the other. And in this case the suffix ism is also imposing on the mirror that trend of innovative orientation which has always been in the arts, opposing to what previously existed. And here we make a link to the changes that are being taking place and those that still will come. That is why this element is there, waiting, but with a provocative text. Does the mirror call the attention of the spectator or vice versa? (…)
How did the idea of doing this show came up?
The curator and art critic Marilyn Sampera, who works for Diana Lowenstein for several years, came to see me in my studio and explained me the idea of her project: an exhibition where we would traverse my entire work. I remember that the exact word she used was making a “halt”, a sort of balance of my career, stopping in moments expressing “artistic maturity, authenticity and inventiveness in the works”.
Going through the selection of works made for the exhibition, what is the first thing that called your attention when contemplating the work made by Lidzie Alvisa until here?
When seeing so many series of various stages, I could notice that in each of them I achieved a critical synthesis of the moment I lived and that I live. I felt I have made my work at my rhythm. At mine, not at that of others. Always taking care of my daughter, the family, the first thing in my life, dedicating all possible hours to them. What a great pleasure that now I may enjoy the two works at the same time, two works that have grown together, one always supporting the other.
In the selection, the pass of time and my maturing process as a person, increasingly critical, but also more relaxed on certain situations, is seen. It is very pleasing to see the whole of what has been accomplished and how I start rejecting works that then entered into a second level in my life, but without leaving out an important part of my daily events. It is also interesting to see how at times the works turn into an important part of the life of others, and this makes me immensely happy.
I should say that this selection has allowed me to assess more the pieces as a whole and put in gear another start with a more critical force, in which I would like to have a healthy protection, ready to receive all types of critics parallel to the praises and that all of them would be well received by me, to make the pieces stronger. (…)
