Samuel Edwards - Cuba Libre with Lime

Project Description

Cuba Libre with Lime uses the structure of a basic HTML fansite circa the 2010s to imagine a game that would have appealed to an alternate version of the artist, had his mother’s family fled Cuba to Miami instead of Denver. Pairing the fictional game with his own fictional persona, Edwards highlights the ways military-sponsored video games like Counter Strike and Call of Duty exploit cultural mythology and twist historical narratives to encourage political support. The project depicts a young fan defending and excusing the problematic aspects of a piece of media he connects with, paralleling the defense and excuses extended to the disastrous 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion. It synthesizes the artist’s experiences in exploring dead online communities into a fabricated artifact of a nonexistent community, while mirroring and investigating his own lived experience.

Perfect for fans of the early web, alternate histories, and thinking critically about video game companies and culture.

Artist Bio

Samuel Edwards is a Cuban American artist who has been working online for ten years making animations, games, and comics. He is a founding member of the art collective Wainstop, creating confronting videos and games with unusual graphic styles and intense internet aesthetics. His work explores personal identity and cultural exchange through modern and vintage media.