Breath This study is the result of a collaboration among various sources of knowledge, establishing a link between the academic world and what is known as “folk wisdom.” To this end, different types of rum—of varying qualities, colors, and flavors—available in the city of Havana were collected. Each sample was classified and identified, recording the exact location of purchase, its origin (industrial or bulk), and the type of establishment where it was purchased (state-owned or private).

The project brings together a diverse collection of samples, including beverages of both legal and illegal origin, while mapping out their distribution networks. Together, these samples form a vast mosaic arranged along the wall.

Meanwhile, on the floor, a distillation process is underway using a blend of all the collected rums, with the aim of obtaining a refined essence. This process employs both laboratory instruments and traditional tools used in domestic distillation processes. The final result of this purification drips into a container placed above an overhead projector, which projects the optical effects produced by the liquid onto the wall.

The work invites reflection on the issues inherent in the contemporary social context. Just as there are many varieties of alcoholic beverages, so too do diverse forms of artistic production coexist. All of them pass through specific channels until they are filtered by an institution that establishes criteria for legitimization in the pursuit of a more refined aesthetic result. This same logic can be extended to the realm of social subjects, whose positioning depends largely on external factors that determine their recognition and validation.