Dispossessions in the Americas
April 17–July 18, 2026
Seba Calfuqueo, "Kowkülen (Ser líquido)," 2020. Performance video. 3:00 min. Courtesy of the artist.
Dispossession—the deprivation of land, culture, language, or all three—has been a defining and enduring condition across the Americas, initiated by the expansion of European colonialism. Dispossessions in the Americas: The Extraction of Bodies, Land, and Heritage from La Conquista to the Present brings together over 40 works by 36 contemporary artists from across Latin America whose work broadly seeks to critique and unsettle the long-standing politics of dispossession. Curated by Jonathan D. Katz, Associate Professor of Practice, History of Art and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, University of Pennsylvania, and Eduardo Carrera, the exhibition is presented by Alphawood Exhibitions.
Dispossessions in the Americas features photographs, videos, installations, performances, sculptures, and paintings produced between 1960 and 2025. A selection of these artworks circulated in Latin American museums from 2021–2025 as part of the Dispossessions in the Americas project, a transdisciplinary research project, teaching initiative, and community engagement program led by the University of Pennsylvania with support from the Mellon Foundation. Organized around three constellations — Territory, Body, and Cultural Heritage — the exhibition explores the colonial legacies in the Americas as territories marked by dispossession (of land, culture, and language) and their continued affect on Indigenous, Afro-descendant, queer, and trans communities, while also fostering resistance and reimagined forms of belonging.
Featured artists include: Karina Aguilera Skvirsky, Colectivo Ayllu, Colectivo Tawna, Deborah Anzinger, Carlos Arias, Archivo de la Memoria Trans, Purita Pelayo, Felipe Baeza, Tania Bruguera, Saskia Calderón, Seba Calfuqueo, Javier Cardona Otero, Wilson Díaz, Frau Diamanda/Héctor Acuña, Augusto Falconi, Ani Ganzala, Frank Gaudlitz, Camilo Godoy, Regina José Galindo, Thomas Locke Hobbs, David Lozano, Cinthia Marcelle, Laryssa Machada, Carlos Martiel, Ana Mendieta, Joiri Minaya, Lulu Molinares, Lizette Nin, Kiván Quiñones, Madorilyn Crawford, Miguel Ángel Rojas, Deborah Thomas, Gihan Tubbeh, Javi Vargas Sotomayor, Antonio Wong Rengifo, Rember Yahuarcani, Luis Fernando Zapata.
VIDEO ART CYCLE
Dispossessions in the Americas is accompanied by an off-site video art cycle, exploring how video art confronts the enmeshed histories of colonialism, ecological disruption, migration, and gendered resistance. Located just a few blocks from Wrightwood 659 at the Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, this video cycle extends the exhibition beyond the gallery walls. On a bi-weekly schedule, beginning April 24, the program will run on Friday and Saturday afternoons. The purchase of a Wrightwood 659 exhibition ticket is necessary for admission. Artists in the video program include Las Nietas de Nono, Coco Fusco, Carolina Caycedo, Neyen Pailamilla, Arisleyda Dilone, Colectivo Tawna, Rio Parana, and Luiz Roque.
Times
Bi-Weekly Fridays: 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Bi-Weekly Saturdays: 1:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Dates
April 24 and 25
May 8, 9, 22 and 23
June 5, 6, 19 and 20
July 17 and 18
Video Cycle Venue
Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church
600 W Fullerton Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614
Learn more about the University of Pennsylvania’s transdisciplinary research program here.
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