POST / Education

In Conversation: El Monte

August 26, 2025
by Victoria Ravelo

In Conversation: El Monte follows Cuban American artist Victoria Ravelo as she embarks on a journey to understand Lucumí through the voices of scholars, practitioners, and artists deeply rooted in the tradition.

In this episode, Victoria speaks with Yessica Gispert, Dr. Odette Casamayor-Cisneros, and Clave Y Cuba’s Ivan Moreno and Kayla Santalla, weaving together perspectives on culture, language, and belief systems. Her exploration is inspired by Elliot & Erick Jiménez: El Monte, the first solo museum exhibition of the artist duo Elliot & Erick Jiménez. Identical twin photographers, the Jiménez brothers unveil a new body of work shaped by the spiritual practices of Lucumí and guided by Lydia Cabrera’s seminal text El Monte.

This episode invites listeners into that same space of discovery where questions of heritage, identity, and spiritual inheritance remain alive and unresolved.

Dr. Odette Casamayor-Cisneros

Dr. Odette Casamayor-Cisneros is a Cuban-born scholar and Associate Professor of Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Cultural Studies in the department of Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Pennsylvania (2019-present). Her current scholarship is centered on Afro-Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx cultural production and epistemologies.

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Clave Y Cuba

Clave Y Cuba’s Mission: “preserve Cuban folkloric music, history, and traditions. Through expert-led workshops, special events, and cultural programs led by musicians with Afro-Cuban ancestral lineage passed down for over 500 years, Clave Y Cuba serves as a bridge, connecting diverse communities with authentic sights and sounds.”

Explore programs Clave y Cuba offer here!

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Yessica Gispert

Yessica Gispert is a multidisciplinary artist based in Miami, FL, exploring Caribbean identity, mythology, and mysticism, layering personal and collective histories in her work to investigate the boundaries between reality and the unseen through materials such as wax, metal, and photographic chemicals. She earned a BFA from Florida International University, an MFA from NYU Steinhardt in 2012, and a postgraduate degree in Media Art from the Academy of Media Arts Cologne in 2020. She is currently a Visiting Associate Professor in Photography at Florida International University.

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Authors
Victoria Ravelo Victoria Ravelo is PAMM’s Digital and Interpretive Content Associate.
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