•  → The New Cubans book signed by the author, shipping in November 2024*
• Photographs : Jean-François Bouchard
• Texts : Jorge Peré, Matthew Leifheit, Devon Ruiz
• French translation : Clément Paradis
• Design : Gilbert Li
• 256 Pages
• 245 x 336 mm
• Hardcover
• Swiss binding
• 150 coulour pictures
• English, with french leaflet
• ISBN 978-2-492696-22-0
• *Release date : 5/11/2024
• 55 €
• → All orders will be sent by Colissimo

Take advantage of a preferential price until publication* and receive your book signed by the artist!

The New Cubans is a visual journey into a lesser-known Cuba, that of the younger generation. Far from the clichéd representations of Cuban cigars, vintage cars, all-inclusive resorts, and echoes of the Cold War, this book celebrates a new, vibrant reality defined by non-conformity, gender diversity, creative expression, and the current crisis of mass migration. More than 10% of the population left the island during the creation of this project. As a result, the images in this book are often bittersweet memories of friendships and loves lost, and more broadly, of a generation whose social fabric has been torn apart by goodbyes.

The New Cubans presents a Cuba that few outsiders have seen or even know exists.

The New Cubans book signed at the early bird price!

JUntil November 1, 2024, pre-order The New Cubans at the Early Bird price of 55€ 45€.
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20 copies available!

The New Cubans book signed

Until November 1, 2024 The New Cubans book at 55€ 50€
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A limited edition of 30 copies

Until November 1, 2024, order your book signed by Jean-François Bouchard + a 13 x 18 cm print (cover image) numbered from 1 to 30 and signed, Photo Pigmentary (Fine Art) print on Canson Baryta Prestige – €135 €110
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A prestige edition of 20

Until November 1, 2024, order your book signed by Jean-François Bouchard + a 24 x 33 cm print (cover image) numbered from 1 to 20 and signed by the author, Photo Pigmentaire (Fine Art) print on Canson Baryta Prestige – €450 €400
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One head print among 5 available

Until November 1, 2024, order your book signed by Jean-François Bouchard + a 24 x 30 cm print, numbered from 1 to 5 and signed by the author, Photo Pigmentaire (Fine Art) print on Canson Baryta Prestige – €350 €320

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The New Cubans, the book

“During this photographic project, I spent a lot of time in Cuba and met fascinating individuals leading unique lives. They were kind enough to let me into their world and introduced me to their circles of friends, often becoming more than just subjects, by collaborating with me in the image-making process.” — J-F Bouchard.

From Post-Disillusion to Escape, Jorge Peré, excerpt:

“Bouchard’s work reflects the insatiable ambition of a social anthropologist. He moves from one series to the next, conducting an extraordinary anthropological study, always driven by the unusual, the elusive, and the marginalized: by lifestyles on the fringes, bizarre circumstances, contexts of prejudice, and cultural taboos. He sees Cuban society as exceptional, ideal for a visual essay that dismantles many of the black-and-white stereotypes that circulate about it.

The young people photographed by Bouchard, although not currently facing open and relentless discrimination, are nonetheless judged by a large majority as ‘weird,’ ‘exotic,’ or ‘eccentric.’ The country’s progressive tolerance of difference is tinged with a certain hypocrisy, noticeable in the euphemisms and uncomfortable silences used by our parents and grandparents.

It is important to note that Cuban society is aging, and thus, retrograde ideals maintain undeniable validity. However, we cannot ignore the progress we have made in terms of open-mindedness and acceptance of diversity.

In recent years, the impact of new political programs on our collective sensitivity has made us a model of socio-cultural progress in Latin America and other ‘third-world’ countries.

These parallel and alternative lives have become more explicit, revealing a new range of social and cultural codes through which to understand reality. In this sense, we are indeed facing something new.

In Bouchard’s compositions, one can sense this rewriting of codes, the coexistence of accumulated past and ephemeral present on a single visual plane. His scenes are set where he plays with contrasting characters and the atmosphere of their environments: young people dressed in a particular way, flaunting their tattoos, posing confidently in the intimacy of domestic spaces or public places.

As dystopian as some images may appear, they are meant to be honest with the places they depict. The only manipulation—if we can call it that—occurs in the construction of the photographic event and its chosen frame to name the metaphors that exist on their own.

Among the young people who became models for Bouchard, one can recognize several familiar faces. Some are figures from Havana’s underground scene: rappers, graffiti artists, artists in general, and DJs. Others are individuals whose charismatic style makes them deeply attractive and mysterious.

The photographer had the time to socialize and move among them, gaining partial access to their lives, their personal stories, and the expectations they project as a generation. I have not used this word until now, but it is clear that Bouchard reveals the character of a generation.

The artist evokes an alternative reality through which he strives to open doors to other ways of life, just as spontaneous and authentic as those we commonly validate. In doing so, he connects his sensitivity to the photographic work of certain local artists who have dedicated themselves to documenting this process of identity reformulation that has emerged within various social communities.”

Cuban homes are filled with knicknacks that create “maximalist” settings, frozen in time. Fascinated by these ornaments, the photographer discovered that they are passed down from generation to generation, not only for sentimental reasons but also due to the scarcity of modern consumer goods.
In Cuba, very little is thrown away.

During his visits, one family asked him to photograph their favorite objects, leading him to set up an improvised studio in their home. This approach was repeated in many households, enriching the project and offering privileged access to the intimate spaces of Cuban homes.

The New Cubans, upcoming exhibitions:

• Blouin Division Gallery, Montreal, Canada, from October 27 to December 23, 2024
• Galeria Taller Gorria, March 28 to May 27, 2025
• ParisPhoto, November 6-10 (details to be announced)
• Mexico City, 2025 (details to be announced)
• Opening week of the Rencontres d’Arles 2025 (details to be announced)