Pòtoprens : The Urban Artists of Port-au-Prince

PÒTOPRENS: The Urban Artists of Port-au-Prince is at once a portrait of Haiti’s capital, a celebration of its arts, and a visionary re-mapping of culture in the world’s first Black republic. Published to celebrate a landmark 2018 exhibition at Pioneer Works, PÒTOPRENS comprises the first major survey of contemporary artists of urban Haiti.

Printed in both English and Haitian Kreyòl, PÒTOPRENS is a map-like reflection of the urban landscape and a new geography of popular production. The city of Port-au-Prince is a polyphonic metropolis that declares its past via multiple voices; in this volume, the city’s complex present is evoked through artworks, images, testimonies, and essays. These contents are organized around distinct zones of artistic production—urban neighborhoods identified with particular subjects, materials, and forms. Focusing on 14 of these areas’ exemplary artists, PÒTOPRENS mirrors the geography of the city that inspired it.