LESLIE SARDINIAS. NATURE AND SEXUALITY AT CASA DE AMERICA

Jungle presents an exploration of the intersections between desire, nature and identity. Leslie Sardinias weaves a visual narrative that examines "deviant sexualities" through the prism of his own experience and the complexity of human sexuality, proposing a reflection on the intrinsic connection between humans and the natural world. By evoking the "jungle," Leslie Sardinias challenges narratives that have imposed rigid, hierarchical categories on nature and sexuality. The "jungle" becomes a space where diversity and adaptability flourish without the restrictions imposed by colonial power structures.

Using methods from botanical science, Leslie presents works that challenge and redefine conventional perceptions of nature and sexuality. The works invite the viewer to reconsider traditional notions of gender and desire by naturalizing human sexuality and simultaneously infusing plant species with sexual qualities. This act of mutual attribution not only breaks down barriers between the human and the non-human, but also celebrates the diversity of life forms and the infinite possibilities of connection.

The Cruising series is named after the specificity and landscape that shapes each of the works, incorporating in their titles records of Leslie's lived experiences. Using polaroids as a base, these compositions contrast colors and organic forms. The images, when superimposed, create a landscape defined by the experience of a sexuality historically linked to natural spaces where homosexuals would seek casual sex and connections inaccessible in conventional settings. The practice of cruising is intertwined with individual and collective experiences, revealing an intimate look at the interaction between desire and space. In the works presented there are references to landscapes of Madrid, Ibiza, Paris and Havana. Thus, Jungle vindicates the importance of recognizing and valuing multiple forms of expression, especially those desires that have been systematically marginalized and suppressed by colonization.

The exhibition echoes the strategies of exploration and classification adopted by European botanists in their scientific journeys, but subverts them by focusing on the exploration of the self and sexual and gender diversity. Bridging urban explorations and emotional landscapes, Leslie invites us to contemplate the ways in which the natural environment and spaces shape and reflect the nuances of queer identity, offering new perspectives on the interconnectedness between human life and the world around us.

Leslie Sardinias (Havana, 1974) investigates the different routes that can be followed depending on personal circumstances, the place of origin or the destination chosen by individuals.

The work is created in situ, closely connected to the physical space where it is elaborated and influenced by the socio-historical context that takes place in that place. Thus, the works represent a way of inquiring into the local identity of places, and their transformation from a historical to a contemporary point of view. His works make reference to chromatic modernism, abstract symbolism, marine biology, flora, organic, and popular culture; combined with a myriad of techniques, materials and artistic procedures.

Sardinias draws, paints, cuts, glues, mounts, prints, erases and scrapes to build surfaces with various readings and textures. These thick textures of each work result in a complex and plural testimony, similar in its journey to that of the places where the work of art has been created.