"Repatriation: A cultural exchange project between Chicago and Puerto Rico" presents a condensed selection of artists from Puerto Rico based in Chicago, who reside in the city or recently moved from it. Bibiana Suárez, Cándida Álvarez, Edra Soto, Javier Bosques, José Lerma, Josué Pellot, Luis Rodríguez Rosario, Nora Maité Nieves, Omar Velázquez and Oscar Luis Martínez make up the group of artists that are part of this exhibition. The objective is to highlight the contemporary Puerto Rican artists’ practice from Chicago in Puerto Rico to open new artistic dialogues between both communities.
“Repatriation cannot be conceived without a diaspora. At present, the word ‘diaspora’ has acquired a general meaning in reference to the forced relocation of people outside their country of origin to foreign countries. A crucial aspect of the diaspora is the desire to return and to recreate the lost homeland. It is this yearning that is at the core of the concept of ‘diaspora.’ The diaspora is deeply rooted in the homeland, even if one stays away from it. Repatriation, therefore, is the return of someone to their own country. It is also the return of art or cultural heritage to their country of origin,” said Bianca Ortiz Declet, curator of the exhibition.
"Repatriation: A cultural exchange project between Chicago and Puerto Rico" has been organized by the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture and is funded by the MacArthur Foundation.