El secuestro 2016

Francis Naranjo’s sculptural installation, *El secuestro*, presents two IV bags hanging above a surgical stool. The sterile environment suggests medical procedures, raising questions about the role of hospitals and clinics in contemporary society. Naranjo is a Cuban artist, and it is helpful to consider the history of healthcare on the island when trying to interpret this work. Cuba has a long history of providing free, universal healthcare to its citizens, yet shortages of medical supplies have been a consistent problem, especially since the collapse of the Soviet Union. This juxtaposition of free healthcare on the one hand, with a lack of proper equipment on the other, highlights the gap between the promises and the realities of the Cuban Revolution. The image powerfully critiques these unfulfilled promises. To better understand this work, it would be useful to research the history of Cuban healthcare, as well as the artist's biography and other politically engaged art of the period. The meaning of art emerges from its relationship to wider social and institutional forces.