The Ballajá Sculpture Created By Victor Ochoa
In accordance with my Puerto Rican heritage, I chose the “Ballajá” sculpture created by Victor Ochoa and created in 1992.
It currently resides near the Ballajá Barracks in San Juan, which is a military barracks that was built from 1854 to 1864 and used extensively during the Spanish-American War and World War II. The barracks is architectural art in itself, following the neoclassical style – along with other several famous buildings in Puerto Rico (San Juan Municipal Theater, Puerto Rico Academy of the Fine Arts, Toledo Federal Building, etc.). The interior patio has been cited as one of the best examples of Spanish architecture from the 19th century. It has three stories and occupies an area of 7,700 square meters, consisting of kitchens,
dungeons, stables, and more. During World War II, the barracks were even used as a military hospital for the U.S. forces! In 1990, the Government of Puerto Rico began the building’s restoration as part of a reform plan for the San Juan Historic Zone; the Ballajá Barracks were finished in 1993. During the restoration of the Barracks, Ochoa’s sculpture was created and installed. It features three bronze figures (a woman, an old man, and a young man) tangled with each other, in an apparent struggle. According to Ochoa (conveyed though a plaque at the base of the statue), the figures offer an allegorical depiction of the Puerto Rican people rescuing the same district (Ballajá) in which they reside. In this scene, the old man (bearing the skull and claws of a bird of prey) is attempting to cover the woman with a cloak, symbolizing the forces that have intended to keep district in the almost-forgotten past. In contrast, the young man stands in between them both, attempting to rescue the woman. He symbolizes the youthful spirit belonging to the new generations of Puerto Ricans working to keep the history of the district alive and, in turn, affirm the value of their identity. It isn’t a secret that we Puerto Ricans hold an incredible degree of patriotism towards our homeland. In fact, it’s one of the qualities that best represent our heritage and culture. This sculpture manages to perfectly capture the emotion of the people and their willingness to connect with their past so that they may, in turn, build a richer future for generations to come. We must continue the struggle against those who wish to keep the history of our people concealed in oblivion.
It currently resides near the Ballajá Barracks in San Juan, which is a military barracks that was built from 1854 to 1864 and used extensively during the Spanish-American War and World War II. The barracks is architectural art in itself, following the neoclassical style – along with other several famous buildings in Puerto Rico (San Juan Municipal Theater, Puerto Rico Academy of the Fine Arts, Toledo Federal Building, etc.). The interior patio has been cited as one of the best examples of Spanish architecture from the 19th century. It has three stories and occupies an area of 7,700 square meters, consisting of kitchens,
dungeons, stables, and more. During World War II, the barracks were even used as a military hospital for the U.S. forces! In 1990, the Government of Puerto Rico began the building’s restoration as part of a reform plan for the San Juan Historic Zone; the Ballajá Barracks were finished in 1993. During the restoration of the Barracks, Ochoa’s sculpture was created and installed. It features three bronze figures (a woman, an old man, and a young man) tangled with each other, in an apparent struggle. According to Ochoa (conveyed though a plaque at the base of the statue), the figures offer an allegorical depiction of the Puerto Rican people rescuing the same district (Ballajá) in which they reside. In this scene, the old man (bearing the skull and claws of a bird of prey) is attempting to cover the woman with a cloak, symbolizing the forces that have intended to keep district in the almost-forgotten past. In contrast, the young man stands in between them both, attempting to rescue the woman. He symbolizes the youthful spirit belonging to the new generations of Puerto Ricans working to keep the history of the district alive and, in turn, affirm the value of their identity. It isn’t a secret that we Puerto Ricans hold an incredible degree of patriotism towards our homeland. In fact, it’s one of the qualities that best represent our heritage and culture. This sculpture manages to perfectly capture the emotion of the people and their willingness to connect with their past so that they may, in turn, build a richer future for generations to come. We must continue the struggle against those who wish to keep the history of our people concealed in oblivion.