People visiting Cuba tend to always miss the point. Infatuated by the old cars and cigars, hypnotized by the music and seduced by the fire of its people they have an experience that, as great as it might be, it’s not the real deal. This is usually the postcard that people fall in love with. The Old American Cars (Almendrones) paint a picture of romanticism and beauty. Old Havana, in its entire splendor, it’s like a gigantic spider web trapping tourists like mosquitoes. With their organized tours they end up at the cigar factory, the Rum brewery then dinner at a great restaurant, and later, sipping on a few Mojitos at the club listening to the same “Buena Vista Social Club” tunes they fell in love with at their countries of origin. You will not understand this island in a week or two. You need to live here. When you do, you will discover a side of it that will make you fall in love with life over and over again. I can only describe it as: “The feeling of never feeling alone”. I thrive on conversing with strangers that challenge your point of view, teach you new things, or look at the same matter from a different angle. This country is far from perfect, but it somehow functions in a way where its citizens all have free schooling, medical care, and don’t discriminate against any shade of skin color. Good education does not promote violence. There is no sense of fear out in the streets due to the lack of crime. People talk to each other. Everyone is open. There are more kids playing out in the streets of Havana then fish in the ocean… And so I started a photographic project. I wasn’t allowed to shoot out in the streets because of the Covid-19 restrictions so my building became the backdrop to most of the photos. This curious, one of a kind architectural structure houses some of the very talents I was about to collaborate with. Within a few days I had an army of people willing to join my new venture and actively contributing to the creative vision. My project became OUR project and the images in this series tell a story the Cubans themselves want to tell. Hidden in Plain Sight showcases portraits of the very talented artists, intellectuals and regular working class people that populate the streets of my neighborhood (Vedado).
Alex Elena
