My talk will draw from my forthcoming book, Latinx Art: Artists, Markets and Politics to discuss five misconceptions about Latinx art that have made it difficult to imagine its value and place in the contemporary art world. I ask why don’t we know more about Latinx artists, and why should we care? I argue that learning to see how race and racism structures the arts is central to imagining Latinx art. I also argue that the invisibility of Latinx art affects our ability to achieve a more equitable and diverse contemporary art world, and a just society.
Arlene Dávila is a Professor of Anthropology and American Studies at New York University and founding director of The Latinx Project, an interdisciplinary space focusing on Latinx art, culture and history at NYU. Her research spans urban ethnography, the political economy of culture and media, consumption, immigration and geographies of inequality and race.