Until they were reportedly banned from doing so, a handful of young performance artists began to comment on the irony and arbitrariness local Cubans associated with the sudden installation of a number of life-size bronze figures across tourist hotspots in Old Havana. This silent young violinist wowed foreigners who often stood next to him or prepared to snap a picture by his side when he moved subtly, jolting his admirers into action. They also laughed and left generous tips for the living statue whose charisma and originality put the “real” bronze ones to shame. Old Havana, July 2016.
