Juan Carlos Alom (Cuba, b. 1964) is the odd man out in Cuban photography. His portraits of black youth and hippies, made in the early 1990s, do not fit with traditional Cuban documentary photography, which has always totally ignored these groups. And with more recent, theatrical photographs, Alom is one of the few in Cuba to occupy himself with art photography.

'El Libro Oscuro' (The Dark Book) is a visual investigation into the symbolism in Cuban culture. With installations of everyday materials, Alom gives new content to old understandings that arise from Cuban myths, aesthetics and social norms and values. Alom does not so much tell a story with his photographs, as create these poetic images to make a personal gesture.

Courtesy Iturralde Gallery (USA)