Kcho (Alexis Leyva)
Untitled (Remos), 2003
Cast Bronze
84 x 14 x 14 inches
213.4 x 35.6 x 35.6 cm
213.4 x 35.6 x 35.6 cm
Unique
The Dominguez Family Collection
Kcho's "Untitled (Remos)" reconfigures the oar into a weaponized emblem of migratory torment. Two monumental cast bronze paddles rise vertically, their shafts brutally interrupted by sharp, thorn-like spikes that transform the tools of propulsion into instruments of self-inflicted suffering. One oar bristles with multiple aggressive barbs along its length, while the other bears a single piercing spike near its blade, evoking the physical and psychological wounds endured during the balsero crossings. Cast in bronze, these forms eternalize the precarious objects of escape, declaring that every desperate stroke toward freedom simultaneously lacerates the hand that grips it. The work unequivocally positions the oar as a scarred testament to the inherent violence of departure, where hope and injury are forged into the same unyielding form.
The DF Collection is a family art collection dedicated exclusively to Contemporary Cuban Art, highlighting key artists such as Tania Bruguera, Los Carpinteros, and Belkis Ayón.
Provenance
KCHO Studio > Pan American Art ProjectsExhibitions
“Kcho: Rowing Against the Current,” Pan American Art Projects, Miami, Florida, United States, February 27 – April 24, 2021 (Included the bronze sculpture as part of a major survey spanning twenty-five years of the artist’s career.)