Coco Fusco Analyzes Performance Art as Political Challenge in Post-Revolutionary Cuba

In her 2015 publication, 'Dangerous Moves: Performance and Politics in Cuba,' Coco Fusco investigates the ways performance art has resisted state authority in Cuba over a span of 35 years. The interdisciplinary artist analyzes the works of individuals such as Angel Delgado, El Sexto (Danilo Maldonado Machado), and Sandra Ceballos, along with groups like Omni Zona Franca. Fusco highlights the contrast between Cuba's repressive measures and the cultural regulation present in the U.S., pointing out that Cuban artists often face accusations of being 'dissidents.' Performance art began to take shape in the late 1970s, with street interventions by figures like Juan Sí González and Arte Calle emerging by the mid-1980s. The recent thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations has resulted in more detentions, while the Ministry of Culture in Cuba struggles with funding and seeks collaborative opportunities. Fusco's work was made possible through her 2013 Absolut Art Award.