The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture publicly released their latest exhibit, “Archivos Vivos” by artist Adrián Viajero Román. The exhibit is a sentimental piece and a love letter to Puerto Rican culture. It tackles topics such as migration, identity, resilience and masculinity. Emotional art pieces such as “PR-tifacts” which used debris and personal items that were found in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The artwork varies in topic. Some are based on the artist’s personal life, such as the mural depicting Román’s grandfathers. Other topics include history, such as one depicting the 1966 riots on Division Street in Chicago. The exhibit also depicts Puerto Rican culture, history, protest and tragedy. It is a love letter to Puerto Ricans.
“I think paying homage to our history in complete gratitude and to my family,” Román said when asked how he felt when creating this exhibit. “If you know where you came from, you have the potential to know where you’re going.”
During the opening of Román’s exhibition, an arts and crafts workshop was made available to the public where guests were encouraged to make a personalized travel briefcase. The travel briefcase could consist of stickers of the art from the exhibit and words of affirmation stickers. The travel briefcase was encouraged to be a decorative memory box.
“To bridge the memory gap between the island and people not on the island.” Iganik Cruz Perez, lead docent and manager of membership services, at the museum said “It speaks to the struggles on the island and off.”
The art evokes a variety of emotions: joy, sadness, warmth, nostalgia and grief. It makes viewers consider loss, family and cultural pride. All the while embracing Puerto Rican culture and history. The free exhibit will be at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture from March 8, 2025, to January 17, 2026.
