Windmills; Because Every City Has the Right To Be Called Utopia

Responding to the state of his native Havana, Carlos Garaicoa confronts the utopian ideals ascribed to modernist architectural spaces, which in reality have fallen into ruin and decay. In Windmills, the field of wind turbines suggests a utopian vision for sustainable energy that could power future urban spaces. These modern machines may also refer to the famous windmills in the 17th-century Spanish novel, Don Quixote, which the protagonist perceived as giant, threatening foes. The windmills may function as a veiled criticism of Cuba’s repressive political system, which Garaicoa dare not criticize openly.

To create the thread drawing, dozens of pins are inserted into the wall, using the artist’s template as a guide. Thread is then wound around the pins to create the lines of the drawing. Despite Windmills’ monumental size, the resulting three-dimensional drawing appears fragile and evanescent. Thread lines shift and disappear based on one’s viewpoint, while even less-tangible shadows of the composition are projected onto the wall behind.