Ride or Die | Public Talk by Miguel Luciano

Ride or Die (2017) was a solo exhibition at BRIC of sculptures featuring customized vintage Schwinn bicycles that commemorate the traditions of Puerto Rican bike clubs in New York. This body of work, combined with paintings, additional sculpture and historic ephemera question the colonial relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico, at the centennial mark of U.S. Citizenship for Puerto Ricans (1917-2017), while exploring the current economic and political crisis on the island and its implications for the diaspora. Luciano will also discuss his current project Island / Inland PROMESAs, which explores themes of resistance and resilience in the Puerto Rican community during times of crisis, from the post-civil rights era to the post-Hurricane Maria present.

Miguel Luciano is a multimedia visual artist whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including exhibitions at The Mercosul Biennial, Brazil; El Museo Nacional de Bella Artes de la Habana, Cuba; La Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris; El Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City; The San Juan Poly-Graphic Triennial, Puerto Rico, and The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. His work is featured in the permanent collections of The Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Brooklyn Museum, El Museo del Barrio, the Newark Museum, and the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico.

Luciano is a faculty member at the School of Visual Arts and Yale University School of Art. Appointed by Mayor Bill De Blasio, he serves on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Cultural Plan of New York City.