Presentation

Wednesday, November 20th from 2:30pm to 5:00pm

Join us for a tour of our fall exhibitions at the Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA), Luis Fernando Benedit: Invisible Labyrinths and Dueñas de la Noche: Trans Lives and Dreams in 1980s Caracas. Visitors will also be able to visit the Research Center, which houses the ISLAA Library and Archives.

Luis Fernando Benedit: Invisible Labyrinths explores a pivotal period of work by the Argentine artist Luis Fernando Benedit (1937–2011), highlighting his undeniable contributions to the international development of Conceptualism and Systems art. Organized in three sections, it presents his paintings, Plexiglas environments for plants and animals, and experimental installations from the 1960s and ’70s, alongside original notebooks, photographs, and videos from the Luis Benedit collection and the Centro de Arte y Comunicación (CAYC) collection in the ISLAA Library and Archives. Many of the materials from the Centro de Arte y Comunicación collection that are on view have been digitized and made available through a partnership with the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA) at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH).

Dueñas de la Noche: Trans Lives and Dreams in 1980s Caracas features Trans, a 1982 documentary by filmmakers Manuel Herreros de Lemos and Mateo Manaure Arilla that follows a group of Venezuelan trans women in early 1980s Caracas as they share their dreams and demonstrate their resilience against the backdrop of the city. Expanding on an exhibition produced through the 2023 ISLAA Artist Seminar Initiative at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College (CCS Bard), it marks the first time Trans is shown in New York City, providing an intimate look at these women’s experiences as sex workers, their aspirations, and their community. The exhibition includes portraits of the women in the film, which were taken in exchange for their participation, alongside ephemera related to its production and reception from the Manuel Herreros de Lemos and Mateo Manaure Arilla archive in the ISLAA Library and Archives.

About ISLAA: The Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA) supports the study and visibility of Latin American art. ISLAA recognizes Latin American artists and cultural movements as integral to the trajectory of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art. We seek to expand these narratives by creating opportunities for researchers, curators, and the public through grants, exhibitions, publications, and our art and archival collections.

Following the tour, join us for a social hour at a nearby location to connect with fellow local library and archives workers.

Please note: Space is limited, so if you’ve secured a spot but then find you’re unable to join, please let us know so we can open your spot to someone on the waitlist.

Where ?

Register Here