Carmen Maria Machado, the acclaimed Cuban-American author known for works like "Her Body and Other Parties" and "In the Dream House," has guest-curated a one-room exhibition of paintings by Cuban artist Rocío García at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in New York. Titled "The Object of Power is Power," after a quote from George Orwell's "1984," the show was organized in collaboration with Head Curator Stamatina Gregory and explores themes of sexuality and state power. Separately, the New Museum will mount the largest-ever survey of filmmaker and multimedia artist Arthur Jafa this September, titled "I Am Tony" in honor of jazz drummer Tony Williams, and the Phoenix Art Museum has received its largest-ever gift of Native American art, leading to a centennial survey of 100 works by Native artists.
This article matters because it highlights how literary figures like Machado are increasingly engaging with visual art curation, bridging disciplines and bringing new audiences to museums. The Arthur Jafa survey at the New Museum signals a major institutional recognition of a key contemporary artist whose work addresses race, identity, and cinema. The historic acquisition in Phoenix underscores a growing commitment to Indigenous art representation in major U.S. museums, reflecting broader shifts toward inclusivity and decolonization in the art world.