Apr 21, 2021 • View in browser
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is home to several Indigenous communities, including people from Mexico and Guatemala, and yet most of them remain unknown. Matt Stromberg dives into a gorgeous new book that introduces 21 undocumented women who are indigenous to these regions, as we read about their favorite recipes and the symbolic colors of their brilliant clothing. Published by Cielo (Comunidades Indígenas en Liderazgo) — a nonprofit supporting Indigenous communities in LA — the book is titled Diža’ No’ole, which translated from Zapotec means “Word Woman.” June Canedo de Souza has sensitively photographed the women, who don’t reveal their faces to protect their identities. A plus: all proceeds from sales of the book will go directly toward these women.
In news, Deborah Vankin over at the Los Angeles Times reports that two senior MOCA staff members quit. For years, the museum has been faced with criticisms of a hostile work environment. MOCA claims it will be restructuring, but many are understandably skeptical.
Also, Allison Conner reviews Brenna Youngblood’s latest abstractions, which Conner writes would “make Piet Mondrian yelp,” and a Lygia Pape show opens this weekend at Hauser & Wirth. For an introduction to Pape’s work, here’s a piece I wrote about her Met Breuer survey in 2017. The Hauser & Wirth exhibition will be spotlighting her interest in Brazilian Indigenous traditions.
– Elisa Wouk Almino, Senior Editor
Keep up with the latest in film and documentary
Honoring the Stories of Undocumented Indigenous Women in Los Angeles
Brenna Youngblood Revises the Language of Abstraction
Closing Soon
Ben Sakoguchi, "Chinatown" (2014) (panel detail) (photo by Jan Sakoguchi, image courtesy the artist and Bel Ami, Los Angeles)
Ben Sakoguchi, "Chinatown" (2014) (panel detail) (photo by Jan Sakoguchi, image courtesy the artist and Bel Ami, Los Angeles)
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