The Babalú-Ayé y La Negra del Hospital is an artistic initiative to publicly recognise the work of a black woman who, sometime between 1497 and 1501, founded the first ever hospital-style healthcare establishment in the New World. Despite having influenced the construction of the first “authorised” hospital in America, Santo Domingo’s Hospital San Nicolás de Bari, her name and history remain unknown, silenced for centuries in colonial archives as “La Negra del Hospital” (The black woman of the hospital). This film seeks to correct this iniquity and honour her spirit.

Yelaine Rodríguez (Dominican Republic / United States).  Afro-Dominican artist, educator, curator and cultural organizer from the United States. She received her BA from the New School (2013) and her MA from New York University (2021). Rodriguez conceptualises site-specific wearable and installation art, drawing connections between black cultures in the Caribbean and the United States through fashion, video, performance and photography. Her interfaith and international narratives examine identity and race.