New York and Havana Contrasted in Photo Exhibition

HAVANA TIMES — Argentinean photographer Yuri* presents us with a series of works from an exhibition titled New York – Havana: Brothers of Contrast, a collection selected by the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires.

Referring to the exhibition, Clarin newspaper journalist Sandra Commisso writes:

“Two worlds, one universe. Because of their history and the legends woven around them, the two cities offer us as many fictions as they do realities. Literature, cinema, music, politics, their inhabitants gave them a privileged place in the collective imaginary. From there, each passed inevitably to the individual imaginary. That is why we have a mythical New York and Havana, and a personal version of these cities, whether we know these cities or not, no matter whether we’ve set foot on their streets or not.

“Both cities are part of that unique geography one carries inside one’s head and associates with one’s own microcosm of fantasies and realities. Each is a world within a world. Beyond time and space, they are places one knows before having been there. There are smells, tastes, sounds, sensations that become real when one arrives there. Even there, the truth that emerges continues to be impregnated by fantasy. They are cities and they are more than that: mythical places that no one can resist. They are places that are inhabited but also cities that inhabit our minds. So distant and close, so different and similar, they belong to everyone and to no one.”

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*Yuri was born in Misiones, Argentina. Developing an interest in photography at a very young age, he moved to Buenos Aires to begin studies in the subject. His photographs commonly deal with human behavior, making use of comparisons as a descriptive method or delving into habits and traditions. His pieces often include masks and plastic toys. In 2013, he exhibited Ellos estan ahi (“They Are There”), a series of photographs praised by the multiple award-winning Canadian author Carl Honore.

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