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By Juan Butten
On Saturday, February 22, 2025, the Portal Cultural will celebrate its fifth anniversary, marking a significant milestone in its fight for cultural resistance in the Dominican Republic. This space holds personal meaning for me, as it was during its early activities that I began to understand what it truly represented.
I clearly remember my first encounter with the Portal Cultural. It was during the Freco Fest, an event about which I didn’t know much at the time, but my friends had already told me that it was a place that supported local art in all its forms. That time, the lineup included prominent rap figures such as Stross and Ceqei, as well as tattoo masters like Luis Bartolo from Trece Ink, Anthony Tattoo, and Sk Tattoo. I arrived early and sat waiting at Coolmado, battling the 30°C heat with a cold beer in hand, while blasting “Walkin’ on the Sun” by Smash Mouth. Not long after, Alex arrived, sat next to me, and said, “Man, it’s 6 o’clock, let’s head to Freco Fest, the thing has already started.”
In a few minutes, we crossed the Portal Cultural’s door. The place was almost full, and the energy was palpable; everyone was ready to enjoy good music and hang out with friends. Ceqei was the first to take the stage, performing his song “Artista Independiente.” I greeted several friends from the graffiti community with whom I hadn’t hung out in a while. Then, Freco, the event’s producer, thanked us for attending and introduced Danny, the director of Portal Cultural, who was very kind to us. We ordered a few beers and sat down to enjoy live music while Shak painted a mural on the left-side wall of the venue.
The atmosphere was filled with creativity: graffiti artists were spraying the walls, leaving their signatures and tags all over the place, while rappers performed on stage and fans sang along to their lyrics. At one point, graffiti artist Boston passed me a spray, and in the excitement of the moment, I left my tag near the door. From there, all the graffiti artists began leaving their marks all over the place, including the bathroom. It was so impressive to see how the space was filling up with art in every corner that I decided to recreate a miniature version of that bathroom in a future project. Danny, always generous, decided not to erase the signatures for a long time, allowing them to remain as part of the venue’s history. The most interesting part was seeing the attendees taking pictures in those same corners now filled with spontaneous art.
By the time night fell, the Portal Cultural was packed. I approached Danny as I went to grab another beer and, as expected, I threw a couple of questions his way. He, always generous, answered without hesitation. From that day on, I began dreaming of the possibility of having an exhibition in that very special space.
Over the past five years, the Portal Cultural has become a springboard for numerous young artists from various disciplines, ranging from music and graffiti to painting, theater, and dramaturgy. This place has been a refuge where many have been able to express themselves and showcase their talents. However, what really matters is not the names, but the impact the Portal Cultural has had: its resilience and strength in the face of challenges in promoting culture in a country like the Dominican Republic, where opportunities for artists are limited and institutional support is scarce.
This anniversary not only celebrates what has been accomplished, but it also serves as a reminder that with effort and commitment, it is possible to build a community that values and supports art, music, and all forms of cultural expression that represent us. The Portal Cultural is living proof that cultural resistance is not just a phrase, but a reality that has been forged with each event, each exhibition, each presentation, and every step taken.
So, as we reach this fifth anniversary, we not only celebrate what has been achieved, but also what is yet to come. The Portal Cultural is not just a physical space; it is a movement that continues to grow, transform, and unite the Dominican artistic community.
