Island in the Light / Isla en la luz

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Contemporary Cuban art, literature, and music meet, mingle, and procreate in Island in the Light / Isla en la luz. This bilingual compilation of the work of thirty-five artists and thirty writers developed from the idea to select art pieces and ask writers to respond. The result is a thoroughly original and captivating selection of visual arts and literature in dialogue that conveys a sense of the essence and energy of Cuban arts today.

Artists represented include Tania Bruguera, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Yoan Capote, Teresita Fernández, Roberto Fabelo, Carlos Garaicoa, and Enrique Martinez Celaya. Among the writers are Wendy Guerra, José Kozer, Jorge Enrique Lage, Legna Rodríguez Iglesias, Achy Obejas, Leonardo Padura, and Reina María Rodríguez. The works are drawn from the Jorge M. Pérez Art Collection; the majority have been gifted to the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), while the others are promised gifts to PAMM. The volume also includes music: Pavel Urkiza composed original scores inspired by several of the selections. In addition to the short stories, poems, and essays inspired by the artwork, the volume includes commentary and critical essays by Jorge M. Pérez, Carlos Garaicoa, and Wendy Guerra and Leonardo Padura.

Praise:

“With works by Ana Mendieta, Jose Bedia, Los Carpinteros, and Sandra Ramos, accompanied by texts from authors like Achy Obejas, Reina Maria Rodriguez, and Leonardo Padura, Island in the Light captures the isolation, longing, and heartache embedded within Cuba’s complex history.”— Cultured Magazine

“The visual, poetic and musical arts meld in this explication of works from the collection of Jorge M. Perez, namesake of Miami’s public art museum and the city’s most prominent and prolific developer…Most of the literary works were initially created in Spanish; in either language, they’re a treat.”—The Miami Herald

PUMPKIN SOUP

2 1/4 pounds pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and fibers
removed
2 onions, grated
6 tbsp. Olive oil
2 tbsp. Cumin seeds
2 pinches of ground cayenne
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 ½-in. Fresh ginger, peeled
and finely chopped
2 cups coconut cream
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

Topping
4 to 6 tbsp. Crème fraiche or olive oil
4 to 6 tbsp. Pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 tbsp. Cumin seeds, toasted

Cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Sauté the onions in a large pan with the olive oil, cumin seeds, cayenne, garlic, and ginger. Add the pumpkin and sauté for 5 minutes without browning. Pour in the coconut cream and cook for about 30 minutes until everything is tender. If there is not enough liquid in the pan, a splash of water may be added. Blend the soup in a blender until it’s smooth or use an immersion blender in the pan. Strain the soup. If necessary, push the last remaining soup through the sieve with the rounded side of a spoon. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup with a tablespoon of crème fraîche and toasted pumpkin seeds added to each bowl and a sprinkle of cumin seeds. Serve with breadsticks.