New Exhibit Examines Puerto Rico as a “Battle for Paradise”

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A new exhibit at The Seattle Public Library’s Central Library examines the tension between Puerto Rico as a marketed paradise and lived reality.

Installed this week at the Level 8 Gallery, “Battle for Paradise: Puerto Rico, restrictions apply*” is a photo essay by Library Artist in Residence Jo Cosme.

Originally from Borikén, Puerto Rico, Cosme is a multimedia artist who is currently based in Seattle after being displaced by Hurricane María. Her work examines colonial power and displacement, focusing on the tensions between Puerto Rico and the United States.

The exhibit is part of Cosme’s ongoing project “Welcome to Paradise: ¡Viva Puerto Rico Libre!,” which focuses on how tourism, settler colonialism, and disaster-driven policies reshape who can remain on the archipelago and under what conditions.

The phrase “restrictions apply” points to the fine print behind the promise of paradise, where access is uneven and shaped by power.

Each photo is accompanied by a story. “Emergency / Emergencia,” depicting a hospital’s emergency room entrance in 2017 shortly after Hurricane Maria, “speaks to a crisis that continued long after the storm,” when “hospitals struggled with reliable electricity and doctors performed procedures with flashlights.”

The story accompanying “Florecer bajo la ocupacion / Bloom Under Occupation,” notes that the work “speaks to the ways Boricuas continue to create, remain, and assert presence within a political reality structured by occupation.”

“Battle for Paradise: Puerto Rico, restrictions apply*” is open for viewing at the Central Library’s Level 8 Gallery during the Library’s open hours through Sunday, Dec. 6.

Cosme is also hosting two film screenings at the Central Library this fall:

• “La Pecera” film screening. Thursday, Nov. 12, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. A film by Glorimar Marrero tells the story of a woman named Noelia and her decision to return to her native Vieques, Puerto Rico, after finding out her cancer is spreading. Noella reunites with friends and family, who are still dealing with the contamination of the U.S. Navy after 60 years of military testing. A Q&A will follow the film screening.

• “Esta Isla” film screening. Saturday, Nov. 21, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Central Library, Level 1 Microsoft Auditorium. “Esta Isla/This Island,” a film by Lorraine Jones Molina and Cristian Carretero, is about Puerto Rican youth navigating desperation and hope amid the island’s complex social realities. A Q&A will follow the film screening.

Thanks to our sponsor The Seattle Public Library Foundation. Free and reduced access supported by 4Culture. 

– Elisa M., Communications