Diego Alejandro Waisman is one of only six finalists chosen to have works on view in both the UCF Art Gallery and Rollins Museum of Art as part of the Pathways 2024: Carlos Malamud Prize exhibition. The prize offers a pathway to success for emerging artists in Florida. In addition to having his works on view, as a Pathways finalist Diego receives mentorship from industry professionals.
About The Artist
Buenos Aires–born, Miami-based Diego Waisman is a visual artist that explores themes of social and economic displacement, identity, and exile. Waisman utilizes documentary photography, video, and installation to build connected narratives about overlooked social topics. He holds an animation degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, a bachelors in studio art from the University of Miami and an MFA from Florida International University.
In 2022, Waisman received the Green Space grant, which funded and exhibited his installation This Community, and the 30th Annual Emerald Coast National Best-in-Show, organized by Northwestern Florida State College. In 2023, he participated in the Urban History Association’s 10th Biennial, where he presented a paper on his recent research and creative work around issues of affordable housing in South Florida.
He is a Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator fellow and has received an arts scholarship from the Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation and the Faena Art Curatorial Studies Scholarship. His first monograph, Sunset Colonies, will be released by the University Press of Florida in Fall 2024
Works on View at Rollins Museum of Art through September 1
Diego Alejandro Waisman (Argentinian, American, b. 1979)
Diagonal, 2022
C-Print, 24×36 in.
Courtesy of the artist
Film and photographs by Diego Alejandro Waisman on view at Rollin Museum of Art
Works on View at UCF Art Gallery through August 30
Diego Alejandro Waisman (Argentinian, American, b. 1979)
Crookson, 2022
C-Print, 24×36 in.
Courtesy of the artist
Film and photographs on view at UCF Art Gallery. Photo Jessica Abels
Artist Statement
I use photography along with installation to explore themes of social and economic displacement. Much of my work revolves around the postmemories of my family’s diaspora and my journey as an immigrant to the United States. These personal experiences assist me in documenting the dramatic and emotional socioeconomic shifts in Miami. My project, For I Shall Already Have Forgotten You, depicts the instability of affordable housing by looking at the disappearance and gentrification of Mobile Home Trailer Communities in South Florida.
Over the last seven years, I have photographed many communities facing displacement. I document the spaces and the people who live in them to understand the rapid changes in the urban landscape. The documentation began with residents’ interviews, which later led to a visual exploration through the photographs.
I have visited and revisited these communities many times. Over the years, the displacement grew, and so did the archive of photos. This journey created a personal rupture which led me to the creation of a visual elegy. I hope that my work not only preserves the memory of the people and communities I met but also creates a historical record of urban change, which for the most part is invisible.
Watch Virtual Artists Talks with Pathways 2024: The Carlos Malamud Prize Finalists
Artists: Patricia L. Cooke, Tenee’ Hart, and Diego Alejandro Waisman. Recorded June 11, 2024
Artists: Samuel Aye-Gboyin, Fernando Ramos, and Clio Yang. Recorded July 16, 2024
View the Pathways 2024 Exhibition Catalog
About Pathways 2024: The Carlos Malamud Prize
This collaborative partnership between the Rollins Museum of Art and the UCF Art Gallery at the University of Central Florida celebrates and supports emerging professional artists working in Florida. Finalists’ works are exhibited in both locations and the winnier receive a $10,000 cash prize, a solo exhibition, a consulting session with a financial advisor, professional development, and participates as a juror for the following edition of the exhibition.
