The Ballad of Francisco Bobadilla


The Ballad of Francisco Bobadilla
An installation by Marlon Griffith

The ship Francisco Bobadilla from V.S. Naipaul’s 1962 travel narrative is used as a reference to explore the critical role that  negotiations for  room, personal space, access and lack there of play in the development of this society.

As Trinidad and Tobago develops, many communities remain distant from what is considered progress. Griffith’s installation engages the positions, aspirations and stories of people in these communities and their challenges of learning to be comfortable in an uncomfortable place.

This project is in collaboration with Alice Yard. Marlon Griffith is supported by a Guggenheim Fellowship, which has been granted by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.