Sandra Ramos, Acuarium, 2013

Acuarium (2013) is a short animation that explores the artist’s childhood memories of the Cuban public school system. The protagonist is a young girl dressed in a public school uniform who is subjected to various scenarios involving bodies of water that restrict her movements. Acuarium functions as a metaphor for the social circumstances of the Cuban people and the ways that the geographic confines of the island restrict the abilities of citizens to conduct their lives with true agency. As this young girl dressed like a Cuban Pioneer tries to escape the confines of her fish tank, surreal events begin transforming her body.

SANDRA RAMOS. Acuarium, 2013. Animated film, with sound, 4 min., 23 sec. Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami, museum purchase with funds provided by Jorge M. Pérez. © Sandra Ramos. Courtesy of the artist.