Everything that is noble and true, 2024, collage on Fabriano watercolor paper, 120 x 80 cm each
The migration of thousands of Afro-Caribbean men and women to Panama during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, for the construction of the Panama railroad and the Canal under French and later U.S. administration, profoundly impacted both the country and its population. For those who ventured from the Caribbean to the Panamanian isthmus, motivated by various reasons, this journey left an enduring imprint—not only on their bodies but also on their descendants.
The act of migration transformed the body into a repository of chronicles and memories, as individuals were forced to negotiate what to carry with them on the journey and what to leave behind. This raises profound questions: How does one reconcile the desire to remember with the need to assimilate? How does identity and survival intersect?
The polyptych Everything that is noble and true examines the idea that memory resides not only in the mind but also in the body. The artwork reimagines Afro-Caribbean migration to Panama during the early 20th century, exploring how the legacy of this movement continues to shape future generations.
Everything that is noble and true was commissioned for the Panama Pavillion at the 60th Venice Biennale, Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere.
