cuerta
who am i
cuerta is an ongoing project to document and promote the Korean-Cuban, a lesser known Korean diaspora. The title embodies the essence of the Korean-Cuban experience. In Spanish, “cuerta” means a rope, a powerful symbol that binds these two cultures together. It evokes the image of the anchor ropes that secured their ships when they arrived in Cuba, a physical link to their new home. But it also represents the intangible ties of heritage and identity passed down through generations.
As a Korean who was raised and currently resides abroad, I have striven to maintain and safeguard my identity as a Korean, a pursuit that is significant to me. In this capacity, it is important to me and to Korean as a whole that we recognise the Korean-Cuban diaspora. It is my contention that the mere fact of my acquaintances being aware of this development represents a significant advance.
It was my intention to avoid portraying the Korean diaspora as mere subjects, given the relatively weak economic and social infrastructure in Cuba. Furthermore, it was crucial to ensure that they did not perceive me as exploiting them for the purposes of photography. I endeavoured to maintain a close proximity to them and to integrate myself into their lives by learning Spanish and assisting them in experiencing Korean culture.
2024 is meaningful for both Korea and Cuba, as it marks the inaugural year in which diplomatic relations have been established. I hope the research and support towards Korean Cuban that has been conducted indirectly would finally be resolved.