Nicolás Dumit Estevéz

In USA paradisiaca, Nicolás Dumit Estévez plays “Chiquito Banano”, the male counterpart of Chiquita Banana, the famous mascot of the transnational fruit company Chiquita Brands. In the piece—originally a performance that survives in its video format—Dumit Estévez hosts a 5-course meal based on different banana preparations. Chiquito Banano works with the staff of a restaurant in Queens, New York, offering guests dishes that, for many, represent “the other”. In the performance and video, the banana and the Caribbean immigrant become interchangeable subjects. In this work, Estévez Dumit plays not only with migrant identity but also with gender identities. The artist replaces the company’s sexual mascot with a parodic male character and also presents in the video scenes made in low quality in which hands with long fingernails painted in bright red pierce a banana. As part of the performance, Dumit Estévez created a postcard featuring himself portrayed as Chiquito Banano, following the visual logic of the Chiquita Banana logo.