A continuation of the While you dried in the sand series, this immersive installation further explores a language that has been created and applied to the souvenirs and tchotchkes aimed at tourists visiting the island, which has become a standard language in the Caribbean. A hyper-tropicalized and exoticized version of the space and, ultimately, of ourselves—one that often uses intensely bright colors, stereotypical imagery of flowers, palm trees and native fauna, specific symbolism of the island, and a utopian language. This body of work appropriates a colonial language and rethinks it not just as a commodity but as a group of tapestries that reveal an experience that is constantly erased when catering to those outside our context.
A tropic squall blew in, while you dried in the sand, 2022
Custom print on three (3) beach towels, custom prints on two (2) beach sling chairs, beach paraphernalia, portable radio, hurricane warning flags, vinyl, sand, sound
Dimensions variable
A tropic squall blew in, while you dried in the sand, 2022 (Detail)
Custom print on three (3) beach towels, custom prints on two (2) beach sling chairs, beach paraphernalia, portable radio, hurricane warning flags, vinyl, sand, sound
Dimensions variable
Photo by Stefan Hagen
While you dried in the sand (palm tress, ocean breeze), 2022
Custom print on beach towel
38.5 x 77 in
While you dried in the sand (un campo de batalla), 2022
Custom print on beach towel
38.5 x 77 in
While you dried in the sand (azul como el mar), 2022
Custom print on beach towel
38.5 x 77 in
Kevin Quiles Bonilla 