Amid recent developments, the legacy of Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta lives on within museum walls and in the public consciousness, continually reopening the wound left by her tragic death...Show moreAmid recent developments, the legacy of Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta lives on within museum walls and in the public consciousness, continually reopening the wound left by her tragic death before she could bring her impressive oeuvre to fruition. Grounded in the human sensibility integral to her practice, this paper offers a poetic reading of a selection of Mendieta’s earth/body works, focusing on the central theme of the wound. It aims to reveal how the artist expresses, copes with, and transcends her traumatic memories of political exile and racial discrimination. At the crux of this inquiry, Mendieta’s practice is explored through the transformative dimension of the wound, inspired by the writings of contemporary philosopher Giorgio Agamben and the imagery of Christ’s Passion. Through this lens, her earth/body works emerge as powerful relics that authenticate and narrate her personal mythology of hurt and healing, offering solace and salvation to their beholders.Show less
