Polinaziacion, 2006

A tiny figure holds on for dear life to the landing gear of a bright red, white-striped, airplane cruising through a cloudless blue sky. The symbolism of this painting by Cuban-born artist Douglas Peréz Castro (1972, Cuba) is topical and chilling. With it, Peréz Castro reflects upon the fate of many Cubans who brave perilous circumstances in order to reach places of greater safety. Rendered in the colors of the Cuban flag, the airplane symbolizes a point of departure, but may also signify the destination of large numbers of Cuban refugees: the United States. Peréz Castro’s work is a stark reminder that our globalizing world is not as borderless as we may believe it to be.