La Residencia is a collaboration between Abrons Arts Center and Pública Espacio Cultural that supports artists of the Puerto Rican diaspora.

Las Carpetas, Christopher Gregory Rivera, 2021, Presented by the Abrons Arts Center as part of La Residencia. Image by Daniel Terna

Abrons and Pública Espacio Cultural support interdisciplinary, transnational collaboration with Puerto Rican artists based in Puerto Rico and New York City.

At this time, La Residencia is by invitation only.

Current Residents

Natalia Viera Salgado

Natalia Viera Salgado is a Puerto Rican curator and curatorial consultant based in New York City. She is also the founder of :Pública Espacio Cultural, an independent art space in Alto del Cabro, Santurce Puerto Rico. Her art historical research focuses on contemporary art in relation to decolonial practices, architecture, social and environmental justice, and new media with a keen interest in hybrid and interdisciplinary projects. She has worked at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, El Museo de Barrio, Art in General, Socrates Sculpture Park, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, and Americas Society. Viera holds a MA in Curatorial Practice from the School of Visual Arts and is currently the curatorial Fellow at the National Academy of Design and curatorial Resident at the Abrons Arts Center.

Pública Espacio Cultural

Pública Espacio Cultural is a cultural space founded in November 2018 by cultural producer Naíma Rodrígez and independent curator Natalia Viera Salgado. The space is located in the community of Alto del Cabro, one of the most important historic neighborhoods of Santurce, Puerto Rico. One of the major problems on the island currently is the lack of funding and spaces dedicated to serve the community in the cultural and arts sector. In November 2018, Pública: opened up its doors to become a platform for local artists and international artists as a way to strengthen the relationship between Puerto Rico and an international audience.

Pública considers multiplicity as its main strength. Thinking from this principle has allowed us to imagine ways in which the space can provide experiences for the enjoyment of the community such as exhibitions, public programs and community projects. The goal is to create a platform for the investigation and diffusion of contemporary artistic practices that go beyond traditional formats inside and outside the institution, while at the same time providing an accessible space for the community. It is also in our plans the reinforcement of relationships with other institutions not only in the island but internationally.

Las Carpetas, Christopher Gregory Rivera, 2021, Presented by the Abrons Arts Center as part of La Residencia. Image by Daniel Terna

Las Carpetas, Christopher Gregory Rivera, 2021, Presented by the Abrons Arts Center as part of La Residencia. Image by Daniel Terna

Funding

La Residencia is a collaborative residency partnership between Abrons Arts Center (New York, NY) and ​Pública​ (San Juan, PR), made possible with funds provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.