CucubaNación is an art and community space run by artist Yasmin Hernandez, where she shares her bioluminescence-inspired works. Honoring black as the original canvas (of the womb, the cosmos) the walls and all art backgrounds are black. The space serves as her studio where she researches, creates, expands and documents these works within her CucubaNación and Rematriating Borikén projects. It includes an Art Shop where she sells prints and other items featuring her works as well as small-scale originals. Yasmin also offers light and liberation-inspired art workshops at the space.

Contemplating the darkness of colonialism, climate change and incessant power outages, Luz, light is the inspiration behind CucubaNación, particularly the various forms of bioluminescence found within the archipelago of Puerto Rico. Bioluminescence is the biological process in which organisms produce and emit their own light. This project celebrates cucubanos (or bioluminescent click beetles); fireflies; the dinoflagellates that make our waters glow; and deep sea bioluminescence referencing the Puerto Rican Trench (deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean). Luz also references energy, in particular, our authentic essence and spirit energy.

CucubaNación envisions a luminous nation transcending colonialism, reclaiming its collective light, essence and sovereignty. As a community space, it is host to various events and conversation series on healing, spiritual, rematriation and liberation themes. Among these are the Trinchera de Ideas rematriation conversation series, the bell hooks All About Love study group, the Círculo Luisa Capetillo Study Group, the Círculo de Lectura Corretjer with Ketsia Camacho Ramos, the Cuidado Creativx series with Leo Sahel and more. CucubaNación utilizes art and light as tools towards raising the personal and collective conscious and conscience. We turn to our ancestors and the wisdom of this archipelago for guidance, channeling these into self education opportunities in a freedom school tradition. Our community is primarily feminine/ queer centered while also lifting the divine masculine.

Our space is an intimate store front at 4 calle San Vicente. Our block, between the back entrance of La Plaza del Mercado and Calle Betances, historically has been host to many cultural activities and events like bombazos. Our neighbors are the urban clothing shop D’Lab to our left and to our right, bomba studio Estudio 353 (home of the former Galería Betances). On the corner is bar/ lounge Betances 100 Sur, honoring Ramón Emeterio Betances. Down the street is el Museo de las Antigüedades, la Botánica Orlyn and D’Amalfi-Boricua-owned kitchen and suppliers of artisanal pastas. La Plaza del Mercado is home to various local vendors and farmers and Bokado, vegan restaurant of chef Karla Ortiz. The block hosts street art by Taller Libertad, Bemba, Taller Lumpen, Luis “Güillo” Cruz, Danielle de Jesus, and Yasmin’s 2018 mural, CucubaNacíon, stands across the street, directly in front of the door to our space. This detail is what inspired the name and concept upon opening in 2022.