Repeating Islands

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A luxury Miami Beach hotel has taken down a piece of art inspired by the image of Ernesto “Che” Guevara after it upset some in the Cuban exile community, WRAL.com reports.

The work by British artist Gavin Turk was taken down from the W South Beach on Tuesday. It featured Turk’s own face but with the scraggly beard, beret and revolutionary garb worn by Guevara in a now iconic 1960 photograph by Alberto Korda.

According to El Nuevo Herald (http://hrld.us/11GD5xp), the hotel began receiving telephone calls and messages through social media from Cuban-Americans expressing their frustration. Many exiles despise Guevara for his role in bringing communism to Cuba.

The W South Beach issued a statement saying it respects the community’s concerns and decided to remove the portrait from the property.

For the original report go to http://www.wral.com/miami-beach-hotel-takes-down-che-inspired-portrait/12103114/

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Author: Camara Dia Holloway

I am an art historian specializing in early twentieth century American art with particular focus on the history of photography, race and representation, and transatlantic modernist networks. I earned my PhD at Yale University in the History of Art Department. Besides my leadership role as the Founding Co-Director of the Association for Critical Race Art History (ACRAH), I am recognized for my expertise on African American Art, particularly African American Photography, and as a seasoned consultant for exhibitions, museum collections, and symposia/lectures planning.

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