Imagining an Archipelago: Art from Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Their Diasporas

Location

Space

Dates

A vertical portrait of a person whose face and neck are covered in white pigment. Their head and face are tightly bound in a grid-like "trap" or cage made of pink and black braided fabric. The subject looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression against a plain white background.

A small, square photographic print mounted on a thick, textured block, which sits on a thin white shelf against a plain white wall. The image depicts a calm blue sea in the foreground and a dark, low-lying landmass or island under a pale blue sky with light clouds. The texture of the block gives the photograph a weathered, stone-like appearance.

Artists

Travel Details

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
August 20, 2027–February 6, 2028

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
San Francisco, California
March 17–August 13, 2028

Newark Museum of Art
New Jersey
September 28, 2028–February 18, 2029

Selected Works

Zilia Sánchez

An abstract, three-dimensional painting on a dark navy blue circular or oval-shaped canvas. The surface features several protrusions resembling breasts or cones. Thin, gestural white lines are "tattooed" across the surface, connecting the different raised forms in a constellation-like pattern.

Juan Sánchez

A vibrant mixed-media collage on a dark background. It features a repetitive grid of small photos showing a figure wrapped in a Puerto Rican flag. On the right, a large orange arched window contains the silhouette of a hand. The piece is overlaid with colorful graffiti-style text in Spanish and English, along with images of US dollar bills.

Teresita Fernández

A large-scale wall installation consisting of a long, horizontal, jagged black form that resembles a mountain range or a series of islands seen from a distance. The material appears textured and charcoal-like, with small pieces hanging down like stalactites against a clean white gallery wall.

Stephanie Syjuco

A black-and-white photograph that has been physically crumpled and then flattened, creating a fractured, mosaic-like effect. It depicts a group of Indigenous people in a forested setting. The photograph is mounted on a solid black rectangular background, emphasizing its distorted and weathered texture.

Gamaliel Rodríguez

A stylized painting of a light blue church with a central bell tower, framed by two tall, white palm trees. The surrounding foliage and sky are rendered in muted, smoky tones of purple, brown, and grey. The bottom of the image has a rough, unfinished quality with visible drips and blocks of dark color.

Martha Atienza

A vibrant film still showing a festival or parade in the Philippines. A man in the center, shirtless and wearing a golden crown and grass-like headpiece, smiles with his arms outstretched. He holds a religious figurine. He is surrounded by a crowd of cheering children and townspeople on a dirt road.

Roldy Aguero Ablao

A close-up photograph of a person with blue-tinted skin, looking upward. They are draped in a heavy, bright red fishing net. Digitally overlaid across the image are numerous colorful, glowing starbursts or firework-like patterns in shades of yellow, pink, and green.

Sherwin Rivera Tibayan

A collage of nine images against a light gray background. It features portraits of a Filipino man in everyday life and in his Navy uniform, photos of his suburban home and garden, and framed group photos of Navy sailors. One image shows a watermelon carved with "Happy 4th 2011."

Sherwin Rivera Tibayan

A collage of twelve images continuing the biographical theme. Highlights include a hand pointing to a yearbook photo, a red sports car in a decorated garage, a retirement letter signed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and various domestic scenes of the man gardening and relaxing at home.

Gisela McDaniel

A large-scale, expressive painting of a nude Indigenous woman sitting confidently in a tall wicker "peacock" chair. She has long dark hair and red markings on her face, holding a dark blade across her lap. A blue cloth with bright red hibiscus flowers is draped over the back of the chair. The background features tropical palm fronds and a pinkish sky, while the floor is a messy, dark-brown texture. Small pieces of real jewelry and fabric are attached to the edges of the canvas.

Roquin-Jon Quichocho Siongco

A vertical photograph taken from a high angle, showing a headless, nude person with tanned skin lying in a fetal position on a woven tan mat. The person is adorned with intricate orange shell jewelry across their torso and hip. Surrounding them on the mat is a symmetrical and extensive collection of Indigenous jewelry, including necklaces, earrings, and bracelets made of shells, bone, and dark wood, arranged like a museum display or an anatomical study.