Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo

The Völklingen Ironworks flooded in red light
Copyright: Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte | Oliver Dietze

born 1984 in Havana, Cuba
lives and works in Enschede, Netherlands and Havana, Cuba

Web presence

Website: https://susanapilardelahantematienzo.blogspot.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanapdm/

 

Works

Achievement

Date
2024

Material
Antique furniture, photo prints of AI-generated images

Description

In antique wooden dressers, cabinets, and desks, illuminated by bedside and library lamps, Cuban artist Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo arranges seemingly old, patinated photographs of strong and self-confident Black women. However, these images were created with the help of artificial intelligence.

As a descendant of African and Chinese people who were deported to Cuba, the artist is committed to exploring a past that was stolen from her and many other families. By entering detailed text prompts – instructions to the artificial intelligence – she generates fictional photographs that do not aim to represent verified historical facts, but exist within a realm of possibilities. Visitors to THE TRUE SIZE OF AFRICA exhibition are invited to open drawers and explore the archive of a speculative past.

Exhibitions