Beginning October 23, 2014 until December 20, 2014, the RedLine Art Gallery in Milwaukee will be featuring a special exhibit on Cuba!

Experiencing Cuba: Artists Books of Ediciones Vigía and Photographs of Joseph Mougel showcases 26 handcrafted books from the Ediciones Vigía publishing house in Matanzas, Cuba, housed in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Special Collections Library, and photographs of Cuba from artist Joseph Mougel.

Ediciones Vigía was founded in 1985 as a haven for local artists and writers during a time of political struggle and resource scarcity. As the press evolved, volunteer artisans began to work collaboratively to create handmade books that combine art, literature, and moveable parts. The books they have crafted, and continue to craft today, are collaged from repurposed materials such as driftwood, photocopies of handwritten text, butcher paper, and tin foil.

Accompanying the Ediciones Vigía books is the photographic work of Joseph Mougel, Assistant Professor and Area Head of Photography at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Mougel received an MFA in photography from the University of New Mexico where he studied video and interactive media.  His photo journalistic images provide a visual context for the Ediciones Vigía books, offering viewers an honest glimpse into the culture and island that produces the handmade texts.

Events & Public Programs:

• Thursday, October 23, 2014 5-9pm Opening reception with Curator Talk at 7pm
• Saturday, November 1, 2014 RedLine Milwaukee Teen Residents Participate in Dia de los Muertos parade
• Tentative: Saturday, November 8, 2014 12-3pm Intro to Bookmaking I
• Thursday, November 13, 2014 6-8pm Screening: Ediciones Vigia: Poeticas visuales (51 min.)
• Saturday, November 22, 2014 1-3pm #r2b@redlinemke (Reasons to Be @ RedLine Milwaukee)
• Friday, December 5, 6-8 pm Cuban Art, Books & Contemporary Culture: Panel discussion led by Kim Nochi with Max Yela, Joseph Moguel, & Art Heitzer
• Thursday, December 11, 6-8 pm Screening: Vigía: Entre la palabra y la imagen / Between the Word and the Image (98 minutes)