LECTURE: Tierra Futura: Submerged Archives of Boricua Futurity

As part of Welcome to Paradise: La Residencia at the Office of Arts & Culture in Seattle, artist and cultural worker Shey “Rí Acu” Rivera Ríos presents Tierra Futura: Submerged Archives of Boricua Futurity. This lecture explores how art and creative practice shape narratives of both subjugation and self-determination within Puerto Rican identity. Rivera examines how the figure of the jíbaro was constructed as a colonial subject through U.S.-funded documentary photography in the 1940s, and how such imagery reinforced assimilation and occupation. The talk challenges participants to consider the role of art in crafting and confronting colonial narratives, while opening a dialogue on how artists can interrupt those legacies. In the context of Welcome to Paradise, the lecture expands conversations on survival, struggle, and imagining decolonial futures for Borikén and its diaspora.

Note: The gallery offers 88 seats—44 with backrests and 44 stools. Additional attendees may need to sit on the floor or bring a chair/mat.