You Belong Here assembles work from established and emerging artists alike covering themes of political resistance, family and community, material culture, and the nuance of identity within the context of the United States.
Featured in this expansive exhibition are Reynaldo Rivera’s images of 1990s-era Los Angeles nightlife, Sofía Córdova’s film installation about labor and collectivity, and Bibs Moreno’s collaborative portraits of Gabriela Ruiz in her signature elaborate style. From John M. Valadez to Tarrah Krajnak, these artists connect a lineage of photographers, each championing their communities through their own distinct and generative gazes. “Collectively, their images cast a greater net for the multiple ways of seeing Latinx people,” Tompkins Rivas notes of the photographers, “creating a visual archive whose edges are yet to be defined.”
This group exhibition celebrates the rich variety of practices by Latinx photographers across the United States. Curated by Pilar Tompkins Rivas, chief curator at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, the exhibition extends from Tompkins Rivas’s work as guest editor of “Latinx,” the Winter 2021 issue of Aperture magazine.
On view: Saturday, January 20, 2024 — Sunday, May 12, 2024
Location: The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum
Curator: Pilar Tompkins Rivas, chief curator at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles
The Obtuse Manual: 7 Exercises for Strengthening Dissenting Bodies, 2018 – ongoing. 120 x 144 in. Instructional photographic installation (photography, painting, and drawing). Wood, paint, chalk, paper, and glass. © Francisco Maso. Courtesy of the artist.
“Francisco Masó’s practice reveals the complex power dynamics between law enforcement and civilians through installations, photographs, and performance. His work derives from his personal experiences growing up under an authoritarian regime in Cuba. The artist spends hours researching imagery on the Internet and identifying photographs taken in Cuba. Using the photographs as source material, he recreates moments of contention between civilians and the police. By isolating these emotionally charged poses, the artist delves into the contemporary understanding of “unconscious behaviors,” challenging what society accepts as natural or normal. Masó’s facial expressions reveal the intense concentration he adopts when approaching these photographs. He immerses himself, both mentally and physical, in the act of recreating these poses.” –Amy Galpin.