Fußabtreter: On Describing Colonialism

In this work, the artist presents a Fußabtreter—a doormat—crafted from green plastic matting typically used to wipe one’s feet before entering a home. Cut in the shape of Puerto Rico, the piece functions as a sharp meditation on colonial dynamics. By transforming the island into an object meant to be stepped on, the work confronts the enduring power imbalances between Puerto Rico and the United States, evoking questions of agency, dignity, and the ways colonial legacies are inscribed into the most mundane gestures.