Ediciones Vigía and Cuban Identity
"The books reflect the nation’s past and present, but they also represent Cuba’s longstanding presence on the global cultural stage."
As the essays written by the various scholars on this website demonstrate, Vigía books are complicated objects that can be interpreted in many ways. The images and text included in the books reflect centuries of Cuban history, religion, and tradition. Cuba as a country is tangled and complex, the people resourceful, and the past intricately layered. All of these characteristics that contribute to our modern day understanding of the island are reflected in the complex and layered form of Vigía books. The books reflect the nation’s past and present, but they also represent Cuba’s longstanding presence on the global cultural stage. Medieval icons, nineteenth century poems, references to German Expressionism, Ancient Greek sculptures—all have a relevant place in a book produced by the press and all serve to illustrate the connections that Cuba has with the rest of the world.
The diverse symbols and ideas included in Vigía books indicate that these objects are honest reflections of a Cuban past that is both insular as well as global. Using Estévez’s designs, the artisans who volunteer at Vigía gather together decades of materials, poems, and images that all contribute to the creation of a Cuban identity, piece those elements together in new and innovative ways, and in the process help construct a modern Cuban identity that incorporates the social and cultural experiences of the past with the current state of the island.