The Chicago art space Wrightwood 659 is hosting a major survey titled "Dispossessions in the Americas: The Extraction of Bodies, Land, and Heritage from La Conquista to the Present." Featuring over 35 contemporary Latin American artists, including Regina José Galindo and the late Ana Mendieta, the exhibition serves as the culmination of a multi-year research project funded by the Mellon Foundation. The show explores the historical and ongoing impacts of colonial dispossession on Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and LGBTQ+ communities through diverse media ranging from performance art to installation.
This exhibition is significant for its decentralized curatorial approach and its direct engagement with current geopolitical tensions. Originating from a $5 million research initiative at the University of Pennsylvania, the project required participating Latin American museums to acquire works by Indigenous artists, ensuring a lasting institutional impact. By linking 16th-century colonial logic to modern-day resource privatization and foreign policy, the show challenges U.S. audiences to confront the foundational role of extraction and displacement in the shaping of the Americas.