Courtesy of Occupy Museums
PRAN - 10 works by 10
artists with $648,224.67 collective debt including debt to First Bank of Puerto
Rico, Banco Popular and relationship to the Puerto Rican debt crisis
collectively displayed at “Debtfair” a project of Occupy Museums for the
Whitney Biennial:
Yazmín Hernández (1975)
What are some things you think should be done
to address the debt crisis and the history of
colonialism in Puerto Rico?
More than debt, I am concerned with dignity and
therefore support independence and the natural
right to determine one’s own destiny. Colonialism
continues to be the root of political and economic
stagnation in Puerto Rico. The debt crisis cannot
be discussed outside of the context of colonialism.
It cannot be discussed without addressing archaic
colonial laws such as la ley de Cabotaje/Jones
Act that forces all goods entering Puerto Rico to
leave from US ports on US ships. The debt crisis
is compounded by an economy governed by
outside corporations making millions here tax-free,
investing their Puerto Rico earnings elsewhere
and sabotaging local businesses in the process.
The debt crisis is a moot point without addressing
colonial capitalist exploitation of Puerto Rico.
De-debt: decolonize, 2017
Acrylic and collage on canvas, 18 x 14 inches
Sofía Maldonado (1984)
What are some things you think should be done
to address the debt crisis and the history of
colonialism in Puerto Rico?
As creatives we can propose new initiatives
and commit to their cultural development of
Puerto Rico. After several years in New York
City, I returned to my homeland at a time when
approximately 50,000 people a year leave the
island. My goal was to develop the project Kalaña
(photo documentation submitted for the Debtfair)
and to teach at La Escuela de Artes Plásticas.
Teaching allows me to share my experience
with and give back to the next generation of
Puertorican artists. My most recent public art
projects target vacant, neglected buildings in the
city and use color and abstraction as signifiers.
Kalaña served as a pilot project to reactivate
unused buildings through the arts and community
efforts. The project activated the inside of an old
tobacco warehouse using color and abstraction,
along with musical collaborations. Two years later,
I founded Hielo A.I.R, an artist residency, and
Open Studio Project, an independent art space -
both were empty unused stores in the San Juan
area.
Kalaña, 2016
Digital print, face mounted on plexi on
museum board
Photograph: Monica Felix
13 x 20 inches
Celestino Ortiz (1964)
What are some things you think should be done
to address the debt crisis and the history of
colonialism in Puerto Rico?
All of this establishes Puerto Rico like a United
States colony. All Puerto Rico has to do is focus to
pay all the bills and keep away from more debts.
Linea del Ahora Eterno
(Line of the Eternal Now), 2014
Acrylic, modeling paste
and diamond dust on canvas
24 x 20 inches
Norma Vila Rivero (1982)
How has the Puerto Rican debt crisis affected
you and those around you?
To address the debt situation, the government
has adopted different fiscal austerity measures
that have had a serious impact on the living
conditions of the Puerto Rican population, leading
to an increase in poverty and marginalization of
the most vulnerable communities and generating
greater exclusion, inequality and discrimination.
Puerto Rico is in a deep economic depression
in which 268,000 jobs have been lost, only 28%
of the population has work, which, together with
other factors, has placed Puerto Rico in the
fifth most inequitable country in the world. The
austerity measures put in place by the government
to overcome the crisis have meant a retreat
from the right to decent work, with massive
dismissals of public employees, the continue
attack on collective bargain agreements acquired
by workers, and the reduction in the retirement
system.
Dead-End, 2017
Digital photograph on cintra
14 x 20 inches
Gamaliel Rodríguez (1977)
What are some things you think should be done
to address the debt crisis and the history of
colonialism in Puerto Rico?
First of all, our government needs to create
incentive for the younger generation who want
to open small business. Here the bureaucracy to
open a small business is ridiculous. Believe and
invest in agriculture. Puerto Rico only produces
15% of our goods. We only produce fresh water,
bananas and milk. Nothing more. If we can teach
our future generation about the importance of a
local sustainable agriculture, then we are in better
terms for independency of importation. It is proven
that we can produce 85% of our goods. Also, sell
Puerto Rico as a destination for a college career.
We have many good universities and experts
that people from USA can study with here for a
fraction of what they pay in US universities. Our
universities are US certified as well. We need
to sell ourself to the world for tourism. We are
the Hawaii of the Caribbean. Then with a better
economy we start to work right away for our
colonial status. Whether Independence or a state.
But I think the congress wants PR as a bankruptcy
state.
Figure 1717WBS, 2017
Ballpoint pen, acrylic,
colored pencil and text on
paper
18 x 20 inches
Adrian Román (1977)
What are some things you think should be done
to address the debt crisis and the history of
colonialism in Puerto Rico?
There are many movements and groups that
have organized on the island and in the United
States to help spread the word, sign petitions, and
protest the Oversight Board and the colonial rule
the United States has over Puerto Rico. I have
cofounded a collective called DEFEND PUERTO
RICO, a multimedia project designed to document
and celebrate Puerto Rican creativity, resilience,
and resistance. Recognizing the complex and
dynamic landscapes that comprise Puerto Rican
daily life and struggle, Defend PR seeks to deepen
connections between Puerto Ricans on the island
and throughout the diaspora, in the hopes of
nurturing greater solidarity, collaboration, and
kinship.
Niño Santo (Child Saint), 2017
Graphite on wood, mixed media
24 x 19 inches
Melquiades Rosario-Sastre (1953)
What are some things you think should be done
to address the debt crisis and the history of
colonialism in Puerto Rico?
Our people has been a colony for many centuries
and it is very difficult to break with a colonial
form of thinking. Also our government can’t make
business with other countries. We must change
the salary of our politicians, the businessmen,
the pension of our ex governor and mayor, the
money that the public officials and the government
consultants receive.
Besides (Otrosi), 2017
Wood (cedar, mahogany, oak)
24 x 20 x 3.5 inches
Nibia Pastrana Santiago (1987)
What are some things you think should be done
to address the debt crisis and the history of
colonialism in Puerto Rico?
“La vida colonial siempre ha tendido a la
degeneración física del pueblo dominado porque
es un régimen de explotación. Consultar a una
nación si quiere ser o no libre constituye una
ofensa.”- Albizu “En relación a la deuda, una
perspectiva de derechos humanos permite
articular lo que queremos decir cuando gritamos
#LaGenteAntesQueLaDeuda. Si bien PROMESA
tiene como únicos propósitos ‘devolverle a PR a
los mercados financieros y recuperar la confianza
de los mercados,’ quiénes vivimos en PR tenemos
prioridades distintas. Entre otras, proteger y
defender nuestro derecho a la dignidad humana,
a la vivienda segura, a la educación de calidad,
universal y accesible, al trabajo digno, a la salud.”-
Ariadna Godreau “El imperialismo mantiene a
los boricuas divididos en partidos en lucha por
el presupuesto. No hay libertades sin amor a su
pueblo, sin respeto a su pueblo y sin fe en su
pueblo.”- Corretjer
los presidentes pisan, o conmemorando lo
invisible, o quiero ser una iconoclasta sexy
[the
presidents step on, or commemorating the
invisible, or I want to be a sexy iconoclast.], 2014
Series of three photographs
24 x 18 inches
José Soto (1976)
What are some things you should be done
to address the debt crisis and this history of
colonialism in Puerto Rico?
There are no easy solutions for this crippling debt
and the consequences of colonialism. At the very
least Puerto Ricans deserve to have a voice and a
vote on the decisions that will have an impact on
their future. They also have a right to participate
in providing the options from which they should
be able to choose. Deciding whether we should
pay for the debt or, our educational, health and
social services should not be an option. No society
should have to go through that. It is a human
tragedy. There are better options than cutting
down basic services. Filing for bankruptcy would
have been a good start to address the debt but it
was not an option allowed to the island. Federal
funding to help cover the debt, a path to determine
the status of the Island, an exemption from the
Jones Act, reinstating the economic incentives for
companies to operate in the island (936), measures
to prevent overspending and excessive lending by
the local government, would have supported the
economic growth of Puerto Rico. None of these
options have been afforded to the island.
Aurora, 2017
Ink jet print mounted to laser cut acrylic, gold mirror
24 x 20 inches
D Gabriela Torres (1987)
What are some things you think should be done
to address the debt crisis and the history of
colonialism in Puerto Rico?
Both the debt and the colonial status of Puerto
Rico are very complex issues. But regarding the
debt issue, I think the most important thing to do
right now is to audit the debt. I really would like to
know what the fuck we are going to be forced to
pay for, who, why, how much, for what and how
the debt was created. The government keeps
postponing it and I’m sure it’s not the best interest
of the government to do an audit because it
would uncover corruption, negligence and similar.
Regarding the colonial matter I would like that
the majority of people could be able to choose
a definite political status outcome (It appears to
be statehood) and to be able to issue a definite
decision without the usual push and pull games of
shady indecision.
Advertisement for PROMESA Act or: How I
Learned to Stop Worrying and Enjoy Debt,
2016
Lightbox print
16 x 20 x 1.5 inches
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