Eduardo Garaicoa, Bernardo Prieto:  Tiendas Abulaye
Eduardo Garaicoa Abreu Born in 1957 in Havana Bernardo Prieto Ruiz Born in 1963 in Havana Have been showing work together since 1993.
»Tiendas Abulaye« is a fictitious chain of stores. The name and logo play on the »Tiendas Intur«, the state-run stores in Cuba, in which one can only make purchases with hard currency. »Abulaye«, the namesake and patron, is supposed to be an »Orisha« (name for the Afro-Cuban gods). He embodies what is most treasured today: money and wealth.
Their project for the exhibition was a boutique »Iré Owo« (which in Yoruba, means Owo money and Iré happiness). In a mixture of art- and religion- marketing, the artists sell devotional objects. With these objects, one is able to pray to Abulaye: »bathe me in money« (Undere mi Owó). On the other hand, there is almost always a reference to social and political aspects of Cuba lurking in the background: the razor to be used to shave off The Beard; the cigar with a coffin as cigarbox; condoms with the label »Take away the Bad« ...
© photos: Gerhard Haupt

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