Christoph Singler hat die erste künstlerische Biographie des kubanischen Malers und Druckgrafikers Guido Llinás verfasst, die 2013 bei Aduana Vieja in Valencia erschienen ist. Llinás (Kuba, 1923 – Frankreich, 2005) ist vor allem als Gründungsmitglied von Los Once, einer kubanischen Avantgardegruppe aus den 1950ern. Die Monographie über sein Werk im Exil (das in den 1960ern beginnt) rekonstruiert die Entstehung seiner Pintura Negra und lotet ihre wichtigsten Dimensionen aus: die Anerkennung von Schwarz als Farbe ebenso wie die Referenzen an die historische Gewalt und die Erinnerung an den afrikanischen Kontinent. Die schwarze Malerei Guido Llinás’ ist aber auch eine Reflexion über die Stabilität und die Lesbarkeit der Zeichen, die Fragilität des Bildes und die vielfältigen Schichten der Erinnerung. Es handelt sich um eine diasporische, in der Tat transatlantische, Kunst, die afrikanische Einflüsse mit dem Expressionismus in allen seinen Spielarten verbindet: vom Grafitti und dem französischen Neuen Realismus bis hin zu Jean-Michel Basquiat. Der Text geht den vielfältigen Dimensionen eines karibischen Künstlerdaseins in der Diaspora nach.

The reports are now available in German, English and French.

In collaboration with the University of the West Indies (UWI), the Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (UAG) has launched the Caribbean Atlas. Dedicated to students at any degree, professionals and researchers it aims at providing a complete data base, maps and synthesis summarizing the main problematic related to the Caribbean region.
Check out the following Link: http://www.caribbean-atlas.com/

SARGASSO, a Journal of Caribbean Literature, Language, and Culture published at the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras invites submissions for an upcoming issue entitled “Global Cuba/Cuba Global: Worldly Perspectives from the 21st Century.” The deadline for submissions is June 15, 2013.

Description: The Sargasso team seeks interdisciplinary academic papers, short fiction, poetry, and visual art that (re)mediates, (re)formulates and/or (re)affirms Cuba’s varied interactions with and approaches to the world today.

How do explorations of twenty-first century Cuba in global relief allow us to rethink the island, the Caribbean region, and comparative area studies more broadly? In counterpoint to insular approaches, recent initiatives within and beyond the island seek to address Cuba’s historical, cultural, and political experiences through global perspective. At upcoming conferences, University of Havana’s Transatlantic Studies Group calls for re-elaborations of Cuba’s myriad transatlantic contacts and interactions; Miami’s Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University seeks comparative study of Cuba’s diaspora with other dispersed peoples from across the globe. These explorations offer parallel alternatives to reified discourses of political allegiance and physical territory as markers of Cuban identities, opening Cuba to trans- local, national, and regional discussion simultaneously. To both celebrate and further expand these interrelated interests, this volume of Sargasso will examine the ways twenty-first century Cuban culture, society, language and/or history may be read, (re)interpreted, and/or (re)examined through global interrelation. While the volume foregrounds twenty-first century issues and perspectives, comparative explorations with other historic time periods are welcome.

Possible themes include, but are not limited to: Cubanía redux; Cuba and the Arab Springs; Cuba and relief efforts in Haiti; Challenges to migration, movement, and relocation; Digital media/digital Cuba; Global modernity, capitalism, and homogenization; Economic a/symmetries of Cuba and China; New directions of sincretismo; Twenty-first century portability; Constructions of gender, desire, and sexuality; Linguistic affirmations and protests; Cuba, reggaeton and popular music; Environmentalism and food security; and Tourism and Travel.

Essays should be in English, Spanish, French, or Papiamentu, 10-20 pages, and double-spaced. Abstracts of 120 words or less should accompany essays. BandW photos, illustrations, and other graphics may be included. Book reviews of 1,000 words in length are also welcome. Essays and reviews must conform to Sargasso’s style guide. Submissions should be digital in Word or Rich Text Format. Electronic submissions and inquiries should be directed to: sargassocuba@gmail.com.

Sargasso is a peer-reviewed journal edited at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras for 30 years. The journal features work on the languages, literatures, and cultures of the Caribbean and its multiple diaspora.

For more information, visit http://humanidades.uprrp.edu/ingles/pubs/sargasso.htm.

Workshop for Junior Scholars at the Latin American Institue at Freie Universität Berlin

February 15th, 2013, 9.00 a.m. – 6.30 p.m.

Lateinamerika Institut, Freie Universität Berlin

Rüdesheimer Str. 54-56, 14197 Berlin, Room 201

Organized by Birte Timm and Claudia Rauhut