Aspen Art Museum

Brothers Pablo and Efrain Del Hierro from Puerto Rico and their unique and improvisational puppetry collective Poncili Creación will lead workshops, performances, and exhibition design for the Youth Art Expo.

Who is Poncili Creación?

We are twin brothers Pablo and Efrain Del Hierro from Santurce, Puerto Rico, and we are the puppetry collective Poncili Creación. People recognize us for our unique, colorful, and improvisational puppetry work that attracts all ages. Our work has mostly consisted of performative interventions in public spaces, both announced and unannounced. We make objects out of repurposed foam, rubber, and other materials. They are manipulated either as puppets or as wearable disguises, which enables us to use our bodies in creative ways to convey a concept, narrative, or specific message.

We are looking forward to your upcoming residency in April. What are you going to be doing while in residence and can you talk more about your upcoming workshop for teens?

We will lead a free two-day puppet making and performance workshop. Finished works will be used for a performance in the museum and displayed in the exhibition Youth Art Expo: Puppets, Masks, and Storytelling. We will create giant puppets in a workshop, which is a great opportunity to learn how to make ideas come to life. This type of workshop focuses on a group-based effort, where everyone collaborates to create one thing rather than everyone each building their own independent thing. Uplifting the ideas of others and learning to achieve a consensus in a group setting are important lessons that come with this workshop.

Have you spent time in Aspen before, and if not, what excites you about your visit?

We have not spent time in Aspen, and we are excited to meet the community and museum staff, as well as learn more about Aspen’s nature and culture. We are looking forward to the workshops and shows where we can interact with the community and the surrounding area.

What drew you to puppetry and who or what influences your artistic practice?

Puppetry is an ancient art form where one can create a door to an alternate reality from this one. As soon as we understood this, we became obsessed with the idea. Using objects and placebos, you can summon different worlds fueled by imagination. Our artistic practice is influenced by reality and chaos.

Can you tell us what to expect from Poncili Creación during the Youth Art Expo?

You can expect to receive an audio-visual confirmation that creativity is a tool to change reality, a lot of color, and large-size puppetry accompanied by experimental movements and sounds. An anything-can-happen sensation with surprises at each step!