Art in Puerto Rico is all around. Plenty of urban murals adorn Santurce’s walls, every weekend artisans display their creations at fairs all over the island and there’s plenty of museums to visit.
Poli/Grafica art exhibit
Puerto Rico hosts unique art events such as the recently opened Poli/gráfica. The name can be interpreted as Political Graphic or Many Graphics. It’s a fitting name since the collection includes works by more than 100 artists from Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Latin America on the theme of “Under Pressure”.
At Poli/Gráfica there are many examples of art as protest and even issue awareness. Some of the pieces give voice to groups that suffer a particular plight or even the story of individuals affected. You will be fascinated with the power of the message behind each piece of art. Even the pieces that could be considered “simple” become potent vehicles that can change perception once you understand what they are reacting to.
Where is it?
The main exhibition is in Old San Juan at a Spanish colonial building called “El Arsenal de la Puntilla”. This building is on the bay just off El Paseo de la Princesa. In the Spanish era it was one of the arsenals where weapons were stored so it also has a history filled with explosive issues. As you can see with art in Puerto Rico, even the buildings become part of the exhibits.
Entrance is free and the event runs through September 15th. The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture organized this exhibit. More information and details about the satellite exhibits all around the island can be found at www.poligraficapr.com.
