a collaborative artistic and civic project for water justice in Puerto Rico
what would society look like if water were understood as a human right and made accessible to communities against government negligence?
The Issue
Puerto Rico is facing a dire water crisis. This is an infrastructure problem caused by the entanglement of colonial governance, land stewardship, power, climate, and collective survival.
The Work
Agua en Común brings together artists, organizers, scientists, urban planners, and public officials to imagine and contribute solutions for more just relationships to water. This work is diáspora-driven and community funded.
In Development
1) Art-based Research: Research to understand the histories, challenges, and solutions for water justice in Puerto Rico as experienced and articulated by communities on the ground.
2) Direct Action: Resourcing and mobilizing community-scale water access efforts by purchasing and distributing water barrels and cisterns across the island.
3) Cultural Organizing: Agua en Común Round Table, a cohort of artists, organizers, and scientists who will serve as a think tank on cultural strategy and resourcing for water justice projects.
4) Exhibition: An archive and curated group exhibition of water justice artworks and projects in Borikén. The exhibit will present the experiences, solutions, learnings, and futurities of the archipelago.
Ojo de Agua (2020). Annotated public photograph. Shey Rivera Ríos.
Plátano Ancestors Room #2 (2023). Photo and video collage animation. Shey Rivera Ríos.
Ojo de Agua Vega Baja (2023). Digital photograph.. Shey Rivera Ríos.
Samuel pos-María (2017). Digital photograph. Shey Rivera Ríos.
stormwater (2019). animated collage. Shey Rivera Ríos.
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