The article reviews "Dancing the Revolution," a multi-genre collective exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago that explores the music of dancehall and reggaetón, their roots, history, and evolution, and their inextricable link to colonial oppression. The show is inspired by the massive 2019 protests in Puerto Rico against then-Governor Ricardo Rosselló, where music and dance were used as forms of resistance, drawing on centuries of Black Atlantic protest in the Caribbean.
The exhibition matters because it redefines what an art show can be, merging joy and resistance into a socio-cultural-political force. Curator Carla Acevedo-Yates uses art to subvert institutional norms and serve a diverse, dynamic community, making the exhibition not just a representation of the 2019 events but an active partner in their spirit. The show features works by artists like Denzil Forrester and Leasho Johnson, and aims to attract new, diverse audiences to the museum.