Free Public Opening Celebration: Graft

Central Wharf Park in Boston is now home to an extraordinary public art experience: Edra Soto\’s Graft. Graft is guest-curated by Pedro Alonzo with Now + There, a Boston-based public art non-profit delivering engaging installations throughout the city. A free public opening event with Soto and Alonzo is scheduled for Tues. Oct. 3 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with DJ Bryan Armas playing Latin beats to create a party atmosphere around 250 Atlantic Avenue in Boston.

Hailing from Puerto Rico, Edra Soto has delved deep into her cultural memory to create Graft, a collection of four sculptures that serve as benches and celebrate architectural fusion. The installation beautifully incorporates Puerto Rican palm leaves into a geometric pattern, casting playful shadows and evoking a comforting sense of the island right in the heart of Boston.

The motifs found in Graft draw inspiration from Puerto Rican “rejas” (wrought-iron grates) and their West African Yoruba origins, encouraging visitors to explore the complex circulations of architecture and cultural heritage. As she does in many of her works, this internationally recognized artist, curator, and educator invites the public to reconsider the origins of what are often assumed to be Puerto Rican motifs and the impact of colonialism.

Central Wharf Park, located between the New England Aquarium and the Rose Kennedy Greenway, features 24 mature oak trees, providing a perfect setting for this dialogue between nature and culture. The installation will be sited throughout the park, allowing the public to engage with the art in a way that enhances their understanding of urban design and cross-cultural dynamics.

Now + There is planning a free public opening celebration for Graft in Central Wharf Park on Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Please register here: https://www.nowandthere.org/events/graftopening, and join the fun. Connect with us on social media using #GraftBOS and @Now_And_There to stay updated on this project.