>> CHICAGO-BASED ARTIST CREATED  A SERIES OF WORK ABOUT HER  HOMELAND.
PUERTO RICO.
AND HER  MIGRATION TO HER ADULT   HOMETOWN.
-- MAKES TEMPORARY   PUBLIC SCULPTURES THAT IS BOTH   ISLAND CULTURE AND   ARCHITECTURE.
HER ARTWORK HAS   BEEN EXHIBITED IN BRAZIL, CUBA,  AND THE MUSEUM IN NEW YORK   CITY.
MARK VITELLI CAUGHT UP  WITH HER IN HIGH PARK.
>> THE BIG GARAGE DOORS OF THE   HYDE PARK ART CENTER ARE OPEN.
WELCOMING VISITORS INTO AN   IMMERSIVE STRUCTURE.
ARCHITECTURAL MOTIFS MIRROR   PATTERNS SEEN ON HOUSES IN   PUERTO RICO.
A HAND FABRICATED  DOMINO TABLE REFLECTS EIGHT  POPULAR PASTIME ON THE ISLAND.
AND THERE ARE PHOTOGRAPHS   EMBEDDED IN THE WORK.
THE   PROJECT IS CALLED DRAFT.
NOT   THE POLITICAL KIND, BUT A   TRANSPLANT.
AN OFFSHOOT PLANTED  IN A NEW PLACE.
>> I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE   SERIES GRAFT FOR A DECADE NOW.
THEY, THE WORD GRAFT COMES OUT   OF MY NECESSITY OF CREATING   SOMETHING THAT REPRESENTS MY   MIGRATION.
MY DISTANCE FROM   PUERTO RICO IS, EFFECTS AND   INFORMS THE WAY I SEE PUERTO   RICO.
I THINK IT MEANT   SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT WHEN I  LIVED THERE.
AND WHAT IT MEANS   NOW, IT IS IMPACTED BY MY   MIGRATION.
IN THE EXPERIENCE OF  LIVING IN PORTO RICO.
>> A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME WORKS   REVEALS VIEWFINDERS WITH TINY   PHOTOS OF PUERTO RICO.
>> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT   MIGRATION, THAT IS NOT ONE   SINGLE EXPERIENCE OR FEELING.
MIGRATION COMES WITH GRIEF AND   LOSS AND NEGOTIATIONS OF THAT   JOURNEY.
>> SOTO GREW UP IN PUERTO RICO.
SHE MOVED TO CHICAGO 25 YEARS   AGO AND GOT HER MSA FROM THE  SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE.
SHE MAKES EPHEMERAL ARTWORK OUT  OF TAPE, TIN, PLYWOOD, AND   PLASTICS.
AND SHE REUSES   MATERIALS.
PARTS OF THIS WORK   WERE PREVIOUSLY IN A POND AT  THE CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDENS.
>> I DESCRIBE IT AS   ARCHITECTURAL INTERVENTION.
IT   HAS A SYMBOLIC TRANSPLANT   CRITICAL ED GRAFF BECAUSE, FOR   ME, GRAFT, THE WORD COMING FROM  SKIN TRANSPLANTS, I KEPT   THINKING ABOUT IS A REALLY   ACCURATE WAY OF REPRESENTING MY  SENTIMENT AS SOMEBODY THAT   MIGRATED FROM PUERTO RICO.