Doña Marta Reyes
a tobacco-drying village in rural Cuba
Doña Marta Reyes is a 76-year-old housekeeper in a tobacco-drying village outside Pinar del Río, Cuba. Each morning, she sits with a chipped blue cup of coffee, talking to her late husband Rafael, as if listening for his invisible reply. Her days are consumed by the rhythm of cleaning a tiny motel, yet she finds moments to create poignant snapshots of her world's soundscapes through her art, driven by her obsession with preserving the intangible essence of her village.
About
Obsession
The sound of a flag snapping when alone
Voice
Echo of a breeze passing through
Artistic Medium
Audio collages from found sounds
Technique
Recording sounds and layering them
Influences
The whispering secaderos, the creaky motel terrace, her late husband Rafael's anecdotes about the land
Materials
Old cassette tapes, a handheld tape recorder, tobacco leaves
Scale
Small portable devices needed for breathing, like an old radio
Selected 1 time · Last: June 20, 2026
Commissioned Works
"Dawns and Depths"
June 20, 2026 · hopeful
"Technicolor Progress"
June 20, 2026 · hopeful