For Centuries and Still... (Anticipated Completion)
Harlem Art Park (E 120th St and Sylvan Pl), NYC
On view Now-October 2023
Collaboration with Kevin Quiles Bonilla
Plywood, Foam, Plaster Resin, Paint, Plexiglass
13' x 30' x 20'
For centuries, and still...(anticipated completion) recreates a guard tower (or garita, in Spanish) from the iconic colonial fortresses of Old San Juan, built out of NYC construction fencing material. Echoing the hastily painted green plywood walls, paint sprayed “Post No Bills'' stencils, and everyday interventions such as buffed out graffiti and commercial posters, these elements represent a NYC visual language, which creates a visually specific link to Puerto Rico, its colonial legacy to the US, and the history of migration between both locations.
Photos by Ariana Sarwari
Full artist statement here
Made possible in part with funding from:
Friends of Art Park Alliance
LMCC
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
New York State Council on the Arts
Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation (UMEZ)