I am a photo-based artist. I’ve been working on a long-term project that involves travelling in Latin America. I have participated in numerous artist residency programs while pursuing this project, but my experience at Unpack Studio Havana Art Residency has been my favourite.

I’m Mexican, but I have a long personal history with Cuba. I started visiting Havana in the early 90s and have returned several times since, though mostly as a tourist. I always wanted to return to develop some work related to Havana’s very particular urban landscape. Exploring the city within the context of the Unpack program worked out really well for me. In a very loose, relaxed way, Unpack is a curated residency: I found it very interesting and helpful that the residency’s curator arranged for me to meet other artists whose work was somehow connected to mine. I also had the opportunity to meet other curators and gain new perspectives of my work, as well as some proposals for potential participation in future shows across Latin America.

Overall, what I really treasured about living in Havana as part of Unpack Studio is the opportunity of take distance from the world familiar to me and come into this extremely particular place that is Cuba and experience this other reality.