Celebrating 30 Years of Para Usted -1991-2021

Alexandre Arrechea and  Dagoberto Rodriguez discuss their first collaboration at Partagas cigar factory in old Havana in 1991.

Thirty years ago, 1/28/1991- 1/28/2021 Alexandre Arrechea and Dagoberto Rodriguez would be inaugurating Para Usted (for you) at the Partagás tobacco shop. We are talking about a group of six works in total if we take into account the existing documentation as a reference. This includes the trapiche and the large drawing table that have a more performatic character as they were tools of use. One to make guarapo (cane juice) and the other for the tobacco shop reader to do his daily reading. The project was entirely dedicated to the workers of the Partagas factory and in a way it tried to settle a historical debt with a union with a glorious roadmap. It is necessary to clarify about this exhibition that although we made invitations, these were never delivered to any public beyond the factory’s tobacco makers. So it was only the domain of four people, our aesthetic teacher Madelin Izquierdo, the engraving teacher Agustin Rolando Rojas and us. Until now we have never dedicated space to reflect on this particular exhibition. Project that together with Arte-Sano with the artist Fernando Rodriguez constitute a prelude to almost two years before founding the trio. Dedicating space to Pro Usted (For You) opens a review process that will help us understand the anatomy of how our collaboration came about. Which did not emerge as the whim of a crazy day but was being built organically as a result of specific experiences that finally led us to a way out.