Violence, migration, cultural memory and resistance in the contemporary cultural production of Central American diaspora artists

Round Table

VIOLENCE, MIGRATION, CULTURAL MEMORY AND RESISTANCE IN THE CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL PRODUCTION OF CENTRAL AMERICAN DIASPORA ARTISTS

Katcher Classroom, Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd | Transportation Options

Having migrated from their native Central American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras respectively, U.S. based artists María Adela Díaz, Muriel Hasbun and Alma Leiva use their personal voices as cultural platforms for resistance while dissecting issues related to violence, migration and cultural memory through video, animation, installation, photography and performance. This artist-led discussion will address topics currently affecting the central American and art communities in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, California and Miami, FL. Specifically, it will investigate the increasing anti-immigrant sentiment and dehumanizing immigration policies which enable the family separation and persecution of Central American immigrants and how this reality in turn informs their art production.

María Adela Diaz has been using her body and other mediums for decades to reflect on her dual experience as immigrant and woman, objecting to systems of control and dominating patriarchal values whilst provoking observers with unexpected, everyday contexts. Her work has been exhibited around the world, including in the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Extresa Arte Actual in Mexico City and Museo de Arte Contemporánea (o) in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Alma Leiva develops projects across a wide variety of mediums as a response to extensive research she conducts on themes ranging from immigration to violence against women, often centered around her native Central America. She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally, including in the Houston Center for Photography, TX; the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, FL; and the Museo de Arte Contemporánea (o) in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Muriel Hasbun blends the role of artist and educator in her mixed-media, often collaborative works in which she explores themes of cultural identity and memory, seeking to construct more nuanced narratives of individual experiences that leave space for dialogue. Her photo-based work especially has been extensively featured around the world, including at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the 50th Venice Biennale. She recently founded and directs the laberinto projects, a cultural memory initiative fostering dialogue and artistic practices in El Salvador and its diaspora.