MiPyme (Monument to the Victims of the USS Maine) 2025 graphite on marble, 12 x 24 inches. Glexis Novoa Studio, Miami.
History is seen as a transitional phenomenon, where content is randomly transformed according to the influences of political and cultural phenomena. The monument to the victims of the USS Maine was established in 1925, following a tragic sabotage that killed 266 people. In 1961, a bronze eagle that crowned the monument was removed due to disagreements over its “imperialist symbolism.” After the desecration, the plaza in front of the dilapidated monument became a popular spot, known as ‘La Piragua’ (The Piragua), where during carnivals or fair days, stands selling beer and food are set up, as well as improvised public restrooms that expel waste directly into the public drain. Once a symbol of power, it is now replaced by basic needs, which transform the architecture of power and its symbolic content. The drawing depicts the remains of the monument, with a flimsy, smoking chimney stack poorly attached to the undamaged Carrara marble columns. The “Churros” sign announces the new function, evoking the emergencies of a society at the limits of its possibilities. *MiPyME [acrónimo] Micro, Pequeña y Mediana Empresa.