Entangled Species

Entangled Species: Conversations on Contemporary Art in the Caribbean provides a different view of the Caribbean through a personal lens showcasing the depth and variety of artists and art communities of the Caribbean.Entangled Species, is the result of a fifteen-month research project by Sasha Dees (the Netherlands). Between November 2017 and May 2019, she visited 16 countries in the Caribbean (including, Barbados, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Virgin Islands). Decolonization discourse and international politics are reflected in her encounters and conversations with artists, art professionals, and institutions in the Caribbean. Engaging anecdotes and conversations with artists and art professionals draw us into her journey. This publication reads like a travel book and serves as a toolkit; a Lonely Planet Guide to contemporary art in the Caribbean.‘In Entangled Species, Sasha has mapped out critical contemporary art, artists, funding bodies and art institutions from a genuine and personal interest in the art world. I enjoyed reading about her journey and her experience of writing and the art she encountered. I could also relate some of the examples in the book to my own experiences. The book helped me to better understand the Caribbean art landscape, its place in the world of art, and the implications of the differences between the two. As I read, I was forced to rethink and reaffirm career choices I made in the past. Reading the words of other Caribbean artists, motivated me as I felt the confirmation of their words and shared experience. Sasha Dees takes you with her as she reaches out to a wide range of artists and art professionals across the Caribbean. The people she speaks with are honest about their struggles and generous with their advice—illuminating a context and a region we need to better understand if we are to appreciate the art, the culture and the community of the Caribbean.’ - Sharelly Emanuelson (Curacao), Artistic Researcher.