Hand-drawn by a US naval spy who infiltrated Puerto Rico on a reconnaissance mission months before the invasion in 1898. Credit: Christopher Gregory-Rivera.

Since 2018, Magnum Foundation’s Counter Histories initiative has supported artists who elevate suppressed histories, reframe dominant narratives, and challenge the power structures embedded in archives. This year, with the generous support of the Mellon Foundation, Magnum Foundation is partnering with the Instituto de Observación Colectiva and past Counter Histories Fellow Christopher Gregory-Rivera to launch a new edition of the program focused on Puerto Rico and its diaspora.

At a time when public memory in Puerto Rico is threatened by systemic disinvestment and cultural erasure, artists have taken a leading role in countering this silencing. Counter Histories: Puerto Rico seeks to strengthen the role photography can play in building a collective visual archive for the present and future.

Applications are due April 1, 2026. See more here.

There will be a virtual Q&A session about the initiative and the application process on Monday, March 16, 2026 at 12PM EDT. A recording of the Q&A session will be posted here after the session.