Ki Smith Gallery is proud to present Tales of the Unknown, a landmark exhibition by pioneering Puerto Rican artist Jorge Luis Rodríguez. This exhibition highlights Rodríguez’s pivotal exploration of mythology, urban memory, and cultural identity through a selection of historical and contemporary works. At the heart of the show is a stunning full-scale re-installation of Orisha Santos originally exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art in 1985 and brought to life at Ki Smith Gallery in collaboration with Paulo Bispo, Omar Vega, Kiya Vega-Hutchens, Armando Alleyne, and Dr. Marta Moreno Vega. 

The immersive installation fuses African diasporic ritual with formal modernist sculpture, featuring the original steel sculptures representing the deities of Santería which draw on the Yoruba-Catholic syncretism of the Caribbean. Tales of the Unknown will also revisit the original archival materials and maquettes from Rodríguez’s iconic public sculpture in Harlem Art Park, Growth. Rooted in his memories of planting seeds as a child in Puerto Rico and blossoming into a landmark of Latinx public art in NYC, it was the first work commissioned through New York City’s Percent for Art program 40 years ago.

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Tales of the Unknown will also debut a new series of drawings that preview Rodríguez’s upcoming commission for the Park Avenue Viaduct at 116th Street, continuing his legacy of embedding cultural storytelling into the city’s infrastructure.