Join us for a presentation of Romance Tropical, a virtual exhibition by Puerto Rican interdisciplinary artist Mónica Félix. This will be followed by a screening of Juan Viguié’s Romance Tropical (1934), considered the first film with sound made in Puerto Rico.
In Partnership with North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA).
About the Exhibition:
Romance Tropical is a research, photography, and video project by artist Mónica Félix. It is based on the lost black and white Puerto Rican film, Romance Tropical (1934) while exploring its colonial romance, and the color technology that frames it. Although she thought her project was completed in 2016, the “lost” film was found at the UCLA Film Archives in 2017. Ever since then, Félix has been working on an epilogue to her work that came to a conclusion during quarantine this year. The entire work is up for view online and features collaborations with Puerto Rican curators and writers Dalina A. Perdomo Álvarez, Pedro Noel Doreste, Ángel Rafael Vázquez-Concepción y Naida García-Crespo. She also collaborated with Argentinian sound designer Josefina Rozenwasser Marin and Puerto Rican born, Florida raised, sound artist Rosana Cabán. The exhibition is on view through September 7th, 2020 at romancetropical.gallerist.art
About the Film:
Directed by Juan Viguié 35mm, b/w, 80 min. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Sometime in the late 1930’s, the film Romance Tropical vanished. Regarded as the first film with sound made in Puerto Rico, and second Spanish-language talkie in the world. The film, which premiered at Teatro Campoamor in New York City, is directed by the filmmaker Juan E. Viguié, written by poet Luis Palés Matos, with music by the composer Rafael Muñoz; three well-known names in the arts of Puerto Rico. The narrative of the film revolves around a man’s search for love and riches and a ‘savage island’ called Mu.
About the Artist:
Mónica Félix is an interdisciplinary artist, professional photographer, and yoga instructor based in Brooklyn since 2010. She has a BA in Communications from the University of Puerto Rico, a Photography Certificate from Pratt Institute, and is currently finishing her MFA in Visual Arts at Columbia University. She moved to New York City to pursue a career as a visual artist and a professional photographer. In 2013 she was the recipient of the Lexus Grant for Artist at the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico. She has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Puerto Rico, New York, California, and Spain.
To learn more about her work visit www.monicafelix.com, or on Instagram: @monicafelix
About CineCLACS Film Club:
CineCLACS Film Club is an initiative that aims to be a social space for students and our communities to connect and explore film and media from Latin America and the Caribbean. For more information, please contact, CLACS Administrative Aide, Johanna Morales at jm8206@nyu.edu
