Reality Breaker

The Reality Breaker flag is a tribute to the colorful and surreal mobile minivan puppet show that roams neighborhoods, spreads joy, and disrupts the quotidian. The Reality Breaker is a collaboration between MILAGROS Collective (New Orleans) and Poncili Creación (San Juan, PR). The artist minivan was featured in Magdelena Bay’s October 2021 music video release “Hysterical Us” furthering evidence of the mobile art work’s ability to spark inspiration and generate new collaborations.

Similar to how Reality Breaker is composed of repurposed materials found on the streets of New Orleans, the reverse side of the flag features a “Crud Buddy” made from transformed litter. This particular buddy is named Uncle Matt and was photographed by Walter Wlodarczyk. For every Crud Buddy “adopted”, MILAGROS is making a donation to a local environmental group. The collective is currently looking for a partner organization for Crud Buddies to bring more awareness to river clean up efforts in New Orleans.

For more information, please get in touch with MILAGROS directly, through their website: www.milagroscollective.com.

Following the exhibition, the artists’ commission for the flag flown at SPACE will go back into fixing the original Reality Breaker, which was damaged this fall by Hurricane Ida.

About the artists

MILAGROS Collective

“We strive to make art that evokes transcendent experiences through scale and visual impact.”

MILAGROS is a mural and installation collective based in New Orleans, LA. Asteinza and Fillastre met while studying Fine Art at Florida State University in 2006. Their public art works pepper the southeastern United States. In 2016, MILAGROS was commissioned by the City of Decatur, GA, and MARTA to revamp an overpass. With grant support, they designed, fabricated, and installed a park—complete with giant wind chimes—that spills out from the transport structure. Community and collaboration are the heart of the MILAGROS ethos. Inspired by their Latinx upbringing, MILAGROS aspires to create enjoyable spaces for intergenerational gathering, where individuals can feel connected through the joint construction of a positive experience. This celebratory spirit shines brightly in defiance of current political dramas. In 2021, MILAGROS completed a residency at the Joan Mitchell Center. [Biography from the Joan Mitchell Center, NOLA]

MILAGROS Collective is Felici Asteinza & Joey Fillastre. (@milagrosyall)

Poncili Creación

“Is it possible to create improvisational street-theater magic using only discarded couch stuffing and fearlessness? Twin brothers Pablo and Efrain Del Hierro certainly think so, and their performance collective Poncili Creación, now in its eighth year, mounts a challenge to anyone who disagrees. Combining the attitude and methodology of punk DIY with a love of experimental noise and dance, stretching the limits of creative possibility as well as the imaginations of their cobbled-together audiences, Poncili Creación never stops touring, never stops experimenting, and almost never says no to an opportunity. Their performances become parties, community spaces, venues for political discussion, and recruitment events for future collaborators.

Poncili Creación presents a take on performance-creation and execution that opposes the traditional black box theater. Any space can be a venue; any fan can become a collaborator; and any event can be host to a performance.”

— Ruby Brunton (excerpt from Jan 2020 Bomb Magazine interview)

Poncili Creación is Efrain & Pablo Del Hiero. (@poncilicreacion)