ICP restores Arecibo mosquitoes

The AËDES sculptures restoration project took about 11 months from its contracting and pre-production until its delivery in September 2024. (archinect.com)

By The Star Staff

The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (ICP by its initials in Spanish) has restored the Arecibo mosquitoes.

The ICP restored the AËDES sculpture group, which is part of the public art registry of the National Collection, under its custody. The series of sculptures on the PR-22 expressway in Arecibo, created by architect and artist Imel Sierra Cabrera in 2004, was part of the restoration project with compensation funds granted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency following the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria.

“This restoration project is the culmination of an effort our agency has led since 2017,” ICP Executive Director Carlos Ruiz said. “The public policy aimed at preserving and educating about the arts and ensuring the allocation of these funds has been implemented consistently and in compliance with the established deadlines. The results of these long-term projects reaffirm our commitment to the art collection that we bequeath to the country for the enjoyment of this and future generations.”

The allocation for the large-scale restoration initiative, included under obligation PW-10895, had a total budget of $664,863 and was designated exclusively for the restoration work on 77 objects, the AËDES group included, from the ICP National Collection. The objects and works of art are located in different towns and municipalities, including the Museo Casa Blanca and the Museo de las Américas, both in Old San Juan, and the Museo Casa Cautiño in Guayama. The project was a direct source of employment for four Puerto Rican conservators and their workshop assistants. It is one of the few works of public art that belong to the ICP collection.

“We are pleased to have collaborated with a team of registrars, conservators, artists, and other professionals to achieve the restoration of these 77 objects, with AËDES being the most complex project,” said María del Mar Caragol, director of the ICP Visual Arts program. “The Institute’s mission is to execute public policy to preserve, disseminate, and educate about our heritage. The completion of this project represents a significant achievement that strengthens our commitment to serve the country and the artistic community.”

According to the artist, AËDES is a work that alludes to a cloud of mosquitoes, which reminded him of when as a child he walked through the area of Arecibo that is no longer visible. The artist reflects on the landscape and mosquitoes in a wetland versus the advances in technology and construction that separate it. With the series of elongated and winged figures that can be seen from the cars that drive through the area, the artist sought to create the sensation of a transparent cloud outlined by bodies covered in perforated earth-colored mesh that subtly contrasts against the sky.

The AËDES restoration project took about 11 months from its contracting and pre-production until its delivery in September 2024. The total restoration cost was $566,205.32, which included the purchase and importation of the steel from which each of the structures that make up the set of sculptures is made. Part of the project’s challenges was working in a wetland under a bridge, which presented difficulties in achieving the movement of raw materials and the execution of welding work in the face of heavy rains during hurricane season.

The set of sculptures is made up of 10 stainless steel structures, the top of which was covered with a perforated and rusted steel sheet. Due to Hurricane Maria, the structures suffered considerable damage, which was clearly visible in the gaps in their planks and damage to the welds that join the legs and body.

In addition to the welding work on the large-scale sculptures, the artist planted native trees in the wetland, thus complying with Department of Natural and Environmental Resources requirements.