“Exploring the History of Puerto Rico Through Everyday Objects: The ‘Story of All of Us’ Sculpture Series”

The series of works called “a story of all of us” explores various events in the history of Puerto Rico.

“So, visually I have this piece here that represents the Old Griot, and then the other pieces that are going to be observed are related to what is suggested here with the dates of historical events that are very important,” explains the Puerto Rican artist.

Like Hurricane María, which devastated the island in 2017, the 10 monumental sculptures are made with everyday objects and tools found after the storm.

“The structure is made with vestiges, with objects that came from unsuspected places, I collected them and began to think about the conception that the Tainos, or the aborigines of the island, had about the hurricane, and I found a writing that called it Guamanceso I wanted to join the name of Maria with Guamanceto represent that terrible, devastating strong movement.”

“So I found a system where I can use what for many can be disposable, recycle it and build images that have to do with situations that affect us as human beings or on the opposite side, celebrations of who we are,” he adds.

The COVID 19 pandemic, as another devastating event, was also represented in this work called ambulance.

“For example, a dismantled bed, pointing to that situation, kind of a face with difficulty breathing, specifically from people who had survived COVID, how they felt, I remember a man on Long Island experiencing that it felt like having stones in the lungs”, says Lind Ramos.

Sentinel of the new moon, refers to the mangrove in the beach community of Piñones, a protector against erosion and the effects of climate change.

While this other one, called precisely Piñones, explores the ancestral practices of local communities and Afro-descendant traditions from all over the Caribbean.

“In Loíza, many dishes are made, such as the empanada de jueyes, for example, many dishes that in some way have to do with the palm, so that tree is very important to me because it reminds me of all those succulent dishes that were made in my community, for everyone’s consumption, not only for the family, Puerto Rico in general and Antillean regions.”

Somehow, the work also intends to confront the residents of Loíza, my town, and of Puerto Rico in general, with events that we are sometimes unaware of.