Chicago-based artist Carlos Rolón has unveiled a new body of work at 65Grand titled 'The Division Street Riots,' which explores the 1966 Puerto Rican uprising in Humboldt Park. Moving away from his signature vibrant, crystal-embellished installations, Rolón utilizes graphite, charcoal, and dye sublimation prints to interpret archival imagery of the three-day unrest sparked by a police shooting. The exhibition marks a stylistic shift toward a more somber, documentary-style realism that emphasizes historical witnessing over spectacle.
This shift in Rolón's practice highlights the role of contemporary art in recovering overlooked civic histories and addressing the specific legacy of the Puerto Rican diaspora in the United States. By stripping away his usual 'aspirational' materials like gold and mirrors, Rolón forces a direct confrontation with a pivotal moment of racial and social tension in Chicago's history. The exhibition serves as both a personal exploration of the artist's neighborhood roots and a broader commentary on how archival memory can be recontextualized through a restrained, meditative lens.