Artist Pablo Delano has brought his provocative installation, “The Museum of the Old Colony,” to New Britain, Connecticut, a region with a significant Puerto Rican population. The exhibition utilizes enlarged archival photographs, historical texts, and consumer goods to document the United States' colonial relationship with Puerto Rico since 1898. By juxtaposing derogatory 19th-century media captions with images of mass sterilization, military enlistment, and the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, Delano challenges viewers to confront a legacy of systemic racism and exploitation.
This project is a significant example of institutional critique and decolonial practice within the visual arts. By framing the work as an art installation rather than a traditional historical museum display, Delano is able to highlight emotional and thematic patterns—such as the recurring motif of Puerto Ricans waiting in lines—that are often overlooked in academic texts. The exhibition serves as a powerful commentary on how visual culture and even everyday commodities, like the titular "Old Colony" soda, reinforce colonial power structures and impact the health and identity of a diaspora.