Graft | El Museo
GRAFT, 2021
Commissioned by El Museo del Barrio for La Trienal
Estamos Bien
Aluminum tube, foamed PVC, mirrored acrylic, plastic, viewfinders, inkjet prints, custom vinyl, dimensions variable.
Curated by Susanna Temkin, Elia Alba and Rodrigo Moura
Catalogue content:
¿Cómo estás?
Contenta de estar motivada, presente, saludable y trabajando. Triste por nuestro presente estado global, pero con esperanza de vivir momentos de recuperación.
What is the project/work you are presenting in ESTAMOS BIEN?
I will be presenting an architectural intervention titled GRAFT. GRAFT is an ongoing project representative of vernacular architectural interventions that take the form of immersive installations and accompanying publications. Citing structures known as quebrasoles and rejas found prominently in Puerto Rico, GRAFT physically interconnects this existing architecture to a site specific place while conceptually representing an imaginary transplant or migratory gesture. The ductile nature of this architecture, which marks domestic space, allows for the representation of multiple states of visibility and invisibility. These architectural elements permeated my home and urban surroundings in Puerto Rico and as a result the fractal geometry of these structures inevitably became a part of my visual lexicon.
As an evolving installation, the newest iteration of GRAFT includes small viewfinders embedded in the circular spaces of the structure. In peering through the viewfinders, the audience is met with an image documenting my everyday life during visits to Puerto RicoThe act itself is akin to peering through the quebrasoles and rejas surrounding a Puerto Rican home to glimpse a small portion of the home behind the walls challenging ideas of privacy.
What is the future?
The future is the result of our actions. The future is now.