Tomorrow, Sous Les Etoiles Gallery opens the first survey exhibition of photographer Alberto Korda’s 1959 and 1960 visits to the US with Fidel Castro. The exhibition, titled “Korda in America,” is comprised of over 60 black-and-white images courtesy of the Alberto Korda Estate, almost all of which have never before been seen or exhibited.
“Korda in America,” shot during Fidel Castro’s historic first visits to America in April of 1959—at the invitation of the American Society of Newspaper Editors—and September of 1960, is a testament to both Cuba’s and Korda’s enduring significance. Korda, as part of the staff of the newly created Cuban newspaper Revolución, documented Castro, both the man and political figure, as no other photographer was able. In the span of approximately fourteen days between Washington, New York and Boston in April of 1959, Korda documents a whirlwind of activity, capturing not only the public face of the 33-year-old Prime Minister of Cuba, but also the relaxed, intimate, and even humorous moments throughout the visit. Despite the US government’s increasing concerns over Castro’s political plans, the seductive personality of the charismatic leader was conscientiously chronicled by Korda. In addition to his photojournalism duties, Korda also reveals his lifelong passion for fashion photography and feminine beauty. After photographing the bearded former guerilla fighter in olive-green fatigues on the set of NBC’s Meet the Press as he explains his impressions of the “nice and noble” US citizens, Korda turns his attention to an anonymous model in a smart suit who poses alongside the police barricades of New York as the crowd waits for Castro to drive down the street. This timely exhibition, curated following the recent thaw in US-Cuba foreign relations and marking the one-year anniversary of President Barack Obama’s televised Statement, offers an historical insight into a time fraught with tension, yet hallmarked by the spellbound attention of the crowd, impressing America’s long-held fascination with Cuba and its struggle for freedom.
EXHIBITION
Korda in America
From December 17th 2015 to January 30th, 2016
Sous Les Etoiles Gallery
560 Broadway #603
New York, NY 10012
United States
http://www.souslesetoilesgallery.net
