Partner Event: Kevin Quiles Bonilla: A small patch of sand, yet it holds so much

Solo exhibition of photographs by Puerto Rican artist Kevin Quiles Bonilla at Baxter St. at the Camera Club of New York. “A small patch of sand, yet it holds so much” is curated by Ezra Benus, Baxter St’s 2023 Guest Curatorial Initiative Recipient. The presentation explores themes of colonialism and diaspora through photographic installations in which the artist and curator invite audiences to consider the role of colonialism in perpetuating debility and disablement. As an artist living between San Juan and New York, Quiles Bonilla’s works focus specifically on the Puerto Rican diaspora. Puerto Rico’s long history of colonization and its current realities as a U.S. colony are explored through artifacts of both fractured everyday life and a thriving tourism industry. Blue FEMA tarps appear throughout the photographs, emblematic of the post-Hurricane Maria relief that never materialized. Alongside these, symbols of tourism appear, such as custom beach towels, beach sling chairs, and souvenirs. Works point to the effects of colonial presence and neglect, and the forces of colonialism are exposed for their role in creating a Puerto Rican diaspora and otherness.