This Radical Latina Art Exhibit Will Change The Way You Think About The Female Body

by Victoria Albert

We all know that the female body is a political object — but we seldom acknowledge the women of color who first grappled with that idea. To bring these marginalized voices to the forefront, the Brooklyn Museum’s Elizabeth F. Sackler Center For Feminist Art presents Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985. This exhibition will honor and explore the contributions of Latin American and Latina women during those 25 years, a period of political and cultural turmoil in many South, Central, and North American nations.

By presenting over 260 works from 15 countries, the exhibit aims to address an “art-historical vacuum,” which the exhibit’s press release notes “has largely excluded Latin American and U.S.-based Latina women artists from the record.”

The artworks in Radical Women can be viewed as heroic acts,” the release continues, “giving voice to generations of women across Latin America and the United States. Proposing both aesthetic and political radicality, the work in the exhibition foregrounds feminist concerns such as bodily autonomy, oppressive social norms, gendered violence, and the environment.”

This exhibit will be open from April 13 to July 22, with special events occurring throughout the four-month period. In the full exhibit, you can check out paintings, photographs, and video from over 120 artists, including Lygia Pape, Ana Mendieta, and Marta Minujín — but here’s a sneak peek of some of their radical, badass, and feminist artwork:

Find out more about the exhibit here

EL160.097 GloriaCamiruaga 77861Gloria Camiruaga, Popsicles (Popsicles). Chile, 1982.

EL160.076 LeticiaParente aa38bLetícia Parente, Marca Registrada (Trademark). Brazil, 1975.

EL160.013 MartaMinujin ece27Marta Minujín, La Destrucción (The Destruction). Argentina, 1963.

EL160.101 PazErrazuriz bab35Paz Errázuriz, Evelyn (Evelyn). Chile, 1983.

EL160.036 MarthaAraujo 02bcaMartha Araújo, Para um corpo nas suas impossibilidades (For a body in its impossibilities). Brazil, 1985.

EL160.072 AnaVitoriaMussi 5e83bAna Vitória Mussi, A arma, (The weapon). Brazil, 1968.

EL160.007 DeliaCancela a477bDelia Cancela, Corazon Destrozado (Shattered Heart). Argentina, 1964.

EL160.084 ReginaSilveira b5718Regina Silveira, Biscoito arte (Art cookie). Brazil, 1976. EL160.084 ReginaSilveira b5718Amelia Toledo, Sorriso do menina (Girl’s smile). Brazil, 1976. EL160.084 ReginaSilveira b5718Sonia Gutiérrez, Y con unos lazos me izaron (And they lifted me up with rope). Colombia, 1977.

EL160.204 SandeaEleta d4a2eSandra Eleta, Edita [la del plumero] (Edita [the one with the feather duster]). Panama, 1977.

Header Photo: Marie Orensanz, Limitada (Limited). Argentina, 1978/2013.

All photos courtesy of The Brooklyn Museum.

More from BUST

8 Subversive Women Artists To Know

This Art Showcase Is Displaying The Intersectionality Of Identity

These Artists Show Us A Terrifying World Without Reproductive Health Access 

You may also like

Get the print magazine.

The best of BUST in your inbox!

Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter

About Us

Founded in 1993, BUST is the inclusive feminist lifestyle trailblazer offering a unique mix of humor, female-focused entertainment, uncensored personal stories, and candid reporting that tells the truth about women’s lives.

©2023 Street Media LLC.  All Right Reserved.