MoMA PS1 presents major exhibition of puerto rican artist Daniel Lind-Ramos opening april 20

NEW YORK, February 15, 2023—MoMA PS1 will present the largest museum exhibition to date of the work of multidisciplinary artist #daniellindramos (b. 1953, Loíza, Puerto Rico). On view from April 20 to September 4, 2023, the exhibition will showcase ten monumental sculptures and two video works that weave together the artist’s multi-layered practice, including four new large-scale works created for the exhibition. Based in Loíza, whose vibrant culture has been shaped by its Afro-Puerto Rican population, Lind-Ramos uses found and gifted objects of personal, communal, and regional significance—such as debris, decorative objects, and everyday tools—to produce meticulously detailed assemblages that explore the connected histories and enduring practices of local communities in Puerto Rico and Afro-descendent traditions throughout the Caribbean. Daniel Lind-Ramos: El Viejo Griot — Una historia de todos nosotros features works that honor fast-disappearing local customs of agriculture, fishing, cooking, and masquerade alongside landmark sculptures examine the repercussions of Hurricane Maria (2017), culminating with two large-scale works made within the last year that address the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact.

Both created for the exhibition, Luna Negra (2022) and El Viejo Griot (2022) explore how Puerto Rican identity has been shaped by more than 500 years of colonialism, cultural erasure, and environmental destruction. Luna Negra references the harvest of mangroves in the beach community of Piñones, considering the mangrove’s cultural, spiritual, and ecological importance as a protector against erosion and the effects of climate change. El Viejo Griot (2022), or “elder storyteller,” draws inspiration from a character in Loíza’s annual Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol to invoke critical events in Puerto Rico’s history. Additionally, two new works created during the

COVID-19 pandemic, La ambulancia (2022) and Alegoría de una obsesión (2022), incorporate objects like emergency lights and cleaning tools to explore collective experiences of trauma and loss.

Also on view is Lind-Ramos’s complete series of three monumental works, Las Tres Marías, which draws on the contradictions between Maria as a revered saint and the devastation and loss of Hurricane Maria, which forever changed the ecosystem of the island. Combining materials the artist collected after the hurricane with items given to him by friends and neighbors, Lind-Ramos’s works echo the experiential elements of the storm—wind, rain, thunder, and lightning—while also referencing how communities in Puerto Rico came together in its aftermath.

Daniel Lind-Ramos lives and works in Loíza, Puerto Rico. He received a BA from the University of

Puerto Rico and an MA from New York University. He was the recipient of a 2019 Joan Mitchell Foundation grant; the 2020 Pérez Prize; and a MacArthur Fellowship in 2021. Lind-Ramos has been featured in solo and group exhibitions globally, and his work is in major collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami; Museo de #arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan; and Museo de #arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan.

Daniel Lind-Ramos: El Viejo Griot — Una historia de todos nosotros is co-organized by Kate Fowle, guest curator, and Ruba Katrib, Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, #moma PS1, with Elena Ketelsen González, Assistant Curator, #moma PS1.

SUPPORT

Daniel Lind-Ramos: El Viejo Griot — Una historia de todos nosotros is made possible with major support from the Henry Luce Foundation.

Generous support is provided by the Luis A. Ferré Foundation.

ABOUT #moma PS1

MoMA PS1 champions art and artists at the intersection of the social, cultural, and political issues of our time. Providing audiences with the agency to ask questions, access to knowledge, and a forum for public debate, PS1 has offered insight into artists’ diverse worldviews for more than 40 years. Founded in 1976 by Alanna Heiss, the institution was a defining force in the alternative space movement in New York City, transforming a nineteenth century public schoolhouse in Long Island City into a site for artistic experimentation and creativity. PS1 has been a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) since 1982 and affiliated with The Museum of Modern Art since 2000.

Hours: #moma PS1 is open from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday, and 12:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

Admission: $10 suggested admission; $5 for students and senior citizens; free for New York State residents and #moma members. Free admission for New York State residents is made possible by The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. Tickets may be reserved online at mo.ma/ps1tickets.

Visitor Guide: Discover even more from #moma PS1 with the Bloomberg Connects app. Read wall text, hear directly from artists, and uncover the building’s history with this multimedia visitor guide. This digital experience is made possible through the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies.