The Latinx Project at New York University announces the upcoming exhibition RicanVisions: Global Ancestralities and Embodied Futures featuring the work of nineteen emerging and established artists from the contemporary Diasporican and Nuyorican community. Activating galleries on the first and third floors of 20 Cooper Square, the exhibition launches with a public opening celebration on January 31, 2025.
The exhibition coincides with the publication of the forthcoming book Nuyorican and Diasporican Visual Art: A Critical Anthology (Duke University Press, January 2025) edited by Arlene Dávila and Yasmin Ramirez. More information on the book and its contributors can be found here.
RicanVisions aims to continue to expand the canon of Diasporican visual art, bridging the past and present of contemporary art from the Puerto Rican diaspora. The exhibition includes emerging artists, some who are showing in New York City for the first time, as well as veteran artists overdue for recognition, such as Marina Gutiérrez and the abstract artist Evelyn López de Guzmán who are showcasing work that has never been exhibited before. Some of the artists were selected through their participation in the annual Artist-in-Residence open call at The Latinx Project.
Artists featured in the exhibition are Manuel Acevedo, Armando Alleyne, Nayda Collazo-Llorens, Vyczie Dorado, Orlando Estrada, Marina Gutierrez, Lee Jiménez, Juanita Lanzo, Miguel Enrique Lastra, Evelyn López de Guzmán, Jacoub Reyes, David Rios Ferreira, Shey ‘Ri Acu’ Rivera Ríos, Keysha Rivera, Jorge Luis Rodríguez, G. Rosa Rey, Angelina Ruiz, Tamara Torres, and Isaac Vazquez. The exhibition is the first curated in-house by The Latinx Project and reflects its largest curatorial effort to date.
The artworks underlie two specific concepts in the show: Global Ancestralities and Embodied Futures. Rather than present a historical survey, a number of the artists highlight the rich and varied histories of their communities, drawing on multiple knowledge systems and histories. They explore themes such as migration, identity, and intersectional heritages. Others draw on their personal narratives and memories to address the complexity of Diasporican life or envision alternative worldviews. They examine the crucial roles that the body and the family play in creating these future worlds. Altogether, their innovative and provocative works challenge and expand our understanding of the Puerto Rican experience and the diverse aesthetics and mediums through which contemporary artists are imagining future worlds. They look to the past to reimagine a decolonial future where we all flourish and thrive.