The installation San Felipe, dealing, like much of Yoel’s work, with the situation in Cuba, is a tribute to his blind grandfather. San Felipe is an intimate photographic installation bringing together a series of black and white photos of the artist’s grandfather, in dialogue with a museum display case showing digital animations of some of the personal objects that make up his memories.
Yoel Díaz Vázquez’s grandfather Felipe belongs to the generation born between 1920 and 1930 who fought for the Cuban revolution. This means that each of these objects, diplomas, medals, “vanguard” certificates, etc., is a testimony of a personal story bound up with the revolutionary process. The reference to his grandfather as a holy man is obvious, not just in his first name, recalling San Felipe Neri, but also the moving story shown in this projection.
The photographic series is made up of eight photos documenting Felipe’s interaction and participation in front of the camera, in relation to two objects suggested by the artist.