Cultured profiles Jesús Hilario-Reyes, a 29-year-old New York-based artist who describes themself as “anti-disciplinary,” working across performance, sound, video, and sculpture. Inspired by queer rave culture, migration, Western carnivals, and Puerto Rico’s hurricane-worn mangrove forests, they have performed at Documenta, the Kitchen, Gladstone Gallery, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. In the interview, Hilario-Reyes discusses key influences from graduate school teachers, the importance of spontaneity and presence in their practice, and their underrated studio tool—an electrical die grinder.
This profile is part of Cultured’s 2025 Young Artists list, which spotlights emerging talents shaping contemporary art. Hilario-Reyes’s fluid blending of club culture, environmental memory, and institutional critique reflects a broader generational shift toward interdisciplinary, identity-driven practices that challenge traditional art-world boundaries. Their candid remarks on art-world trends—calling for an end to clichés like American flags and “gay boys taking pictures of gay boys”—underscore a desire for more authentic and inclusive creative spaces.