Continue the exploration of Art + Activism inspired by the work of Andrea Bowers currently on view at the MCA, with an exploration of the overlaps between art and activism in the context of Latin America led by scholar Jennifer Ponce de Leon. The conversation convenes two artist collectives that consider activism, political art, and art’s power as a tool in advocacy. The collectives Frente 3 de Fevereiro and Iconoclasistas tackle social issues through different approaches empowered by civic engagement. The discussion challenges ways these relationships shift in different cultural contexts from Latin America to the US.

Art + Activism talks for the exhibition “Andrea Bowers” are organized by Curator January Parkos Arnall and Assistant Curator Gibran Villalobos, with Otez Gary, Curatorial Assistant.

About the Speakers

Jennifer S. Ponce de León is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research focuses on cultural production and antisystemic movements in the Americas since the 1960s and critical theory. She works across studies of contemporary visual arts, literature, and performance; transnational Latinx and Latin American studies. She is author of Another Aesthetics Is Possible: Arts of Rebellion in the Fourth World War. Jennifer Ponce de León is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania.

Iconoclasistas, the Argentinian collective (Julia Risler and Pablo Ares)—pioneers in the production of collective maps that stimulate the creation of focuses, visions, and perspectives that trigger reflection about a common territory. The mapping has focused on distinct aspects related to the quality of life in the neighborhoods. Work sessions were focused on debating and exchanging information about issues of infrastructure, green areas, the use of public space, types of transportation, the state of housing, and the presence of real estate developments.

Frente 3 de Fevereiro is a collective founded in 2004 following the murder of Flavio Sant’Ana, a young black student, by São Paulo police. Based in São Paulo, the group comprises 21 members involved in the arts, academia and other fields. The group’s artistic interventions create new forms of protest pertaining to racial issues and provoke new understandings of the fragmented information promulgated by the mass media. Frente 3 de Fevereiro connects with the artistic legacy of earlier generations who conceived of new ways to interact with urban space in light of the history of the Afro-Brazilian struggle and resistance.

Sobre el evento

Continúe la exploración de Arte + Activismo inspirado en las obras de la artista Andrea Bowers actualmente en exhibición en el MCA, con una charla sobre el arte y el activismo en el contexto de América Latina. Esta charla sera dirigida por la profesora Jennifer Ponce de León. La conversación convoca a dos colectivos de artistas que consideran el activismo, el arte político y el poder del arte como una herramienta para la defensa de derechos. Los colectivos Frente 3 de Fevereiro e Iconoclasistas abordan temas sociales a través de diferentes enfoques alineados con compromisos cívicos. La discusión desafía las formas en que estas relaciones cambian en diferentes contextos culturales, desde América Latina hasta Estados Unidos. Esta charla se presenta con traducción.

Las charlas de Arte + Activismo para la exposición “Andrea Bowers” ​​están organizadas por la curadora January Parkos Arnall y el curador asistente Gibran Villalobos, con Otez Gary, asistente de curaduria.

Jennifer S. Ponce de León is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research focuses on cultural production and antisystemic movements in the Americas since the 1960s and critical theory. She works across studies of contemporary visual arts, literature, and performance; transnational Latinx and Latin American studies. She is author of Another Aesthetics Is Possible: Arts of Rebellion in the Fourth World War. Jennifer Ponce de León is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania.

Iconoclasistas, the Argentinian collective (Julia Risler and Pablo Ares)—pioneers in the production of collective maps that stimulate the creation of focuses, visions, and perspectives that trigger reflection about a common territory. The mapping has focused on distinct aspects related to the quality of life in the neighborhoods. Work sessions were focused on debating and exchanging information about issues of infrastructure, green areas, the use of public space, types of transportation, the state of housing, and the presence of real estate developments.

Frente 3 de Fevereiro is a collective founded in 2004 following the murder of Flavio Sant’Ana, a young black student, by São Paulo police. Based in São Paulo, the group comprises 21 members involved in the arts, academia and other fields. The group’s artistic interventions create new forms of protest pertaining to racial issues and provoke new understandings of the fragmented information promulgated by the mass media. Frente 3 de Fevereiro connects with the artistic legacy of earlier generations who conceived of new ways to interact with urban space in light of the history of the Afro-Brazilian struggle and resistance.