Artist Statement:
Jo Cosme is a Puerto Rican multimedia artist who uses photography and installations to address issues surrounding the ongoing colonization of her Homeland, Puerto Rico. A year after Hurricane María, she was displaced to Seattle and was shocked by how little North Americans know about the exploitative relationship their Country has with hers. This inspired her to create works that would provoke reflections on the effects of disaster capitalism and colonialism in the World’s Oldest Colony.
Cosme’s working on her first solo show: Welcome to Paradise. This project is an immersive installation exploring the contrasting relationship between North Americans' perception of PR as a Caribbean paradise compared to what Native Puerto Ricans have endured for generations. Showing this project in the continental US will serve as a call to action to raise awareness on US Imperialism and how its people unknowingly are perpetuating neocolonialism in places such as the Caribbean.
Artwork:
A photographic series metaphorically depicting what life in Puerto Rico feels like for its native inhabitants due to the housing crisis on account to the unregulated Airbnbs and gentrification. Domestic abuse survivors are another heavily impacted community.
