Cuban plane becomes art

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published May 10, 2004 in the Tallahassee Democrat, Tallahassee, FL

MIAMI
- A vintage Cuban government-owned crop-dusting plane seized by
the United States after a pilot and his family used it to leave the island
is now a piece of art.
After sitting in Key West storage for about 18 months, the plane was
taken apart and reassembled in a hangar, where artist Xavier Cortada began
painting the plane Friday. He says he envisions painting open mouths to
signify the lack of freedom of expression on the communist island.
The Russian-made Antonov An-2 Colt was taken by U.S. court order in a
rare judgment against Fidel Castro's regime.
The eight Cubans landed in Key West in November 2002, and the plane was
seized to help satisfy a $27 million judgment won in 2001 by the ex-wife
of a Cuban spy.
Cortada will also surround the plane with 45 painted trunks numbered
1959 to 2004 for the years of Castro's rule. The trunks will be filled
with letters from exiles about their personal experiences leaving Cuba.
Cortada said he is soliciting letters now and will invite visitors to
the exhibit to write letters.
"As an artist, my job is to look at my world and express it for others
to see," Cortada said. "But with this project, I thought, maybe it's not
just my expression that is important here. Maybe it's their expression
that is of utmost value."
The exhibit will be unveiled May 19.