Old Mirrors
Ernesto Rodríguez Conzàlez's large-format oil painting Transmisión en vivo takes on a milestone in art history: Raphael's encounter between Leo the Great and Attila in the Stanza di Eliodoro of the Vatican Palace. The Cuban artist loves such excursions into tradition. Some of his portraits of women seem to have sprung from the Quattrocento, others quote the painting of the Dutch Gouden Eeuw. And why all this effort? Ernesto Rodríguez Conzàlez contrasts the splendour of the old masters with the pitiful imagery of the digital space, with all the visuals, icons and emojis that simulate meaning in social media. He invites us to reflect on the relationship between art, identity and the digital world, says Conzàlez. An invitation that should be accepted.