Door: Nestor Siré
https://nestorsire.com/obra/basic-2
“Basic Necessities portrays the dynamics of the informal economy in Cuba as played out in Telegram groups and analyzes the eclectic and creative uses of product photography in this digital context.
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused shortages in government stores, the inhabitants of Havana, Cuba’s capital, began using semi-public chat groups on messaging apps, such as Telegram or WhatsApp, to access food, hygiene products, medicines, and other staples. Based on long-term artistic/ethnographic research into these practices, Basic Necessities presents a real-time documentation of the fascinating social dynamics within these groups and the current day-to-day economic situation in Havana. What products are currently in high demand? What is available through state distribution channels? What is impossible to obtain?”
