Axis Mundo Exhibition Explores Queer Chicano Networks in 1970s-90s Los Angeles
From June 21 to August 19, 2018, Hunter College Art Galleries in New York showcased the exhibition Axis Mundo: Queer Networks in Chicano L.A. This event was organized by The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, featuring more than fifty artists. It examined the theme of "queer worldmaking" spanning from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. A key figure highlighted was Edmundo "Mundo" Meza (1955–85), whose partnerships with Gronk and Robert Legorreta were pivotal. Notable pieces included Carlos Almaraz's collages, Ricardo Valverde's video Mujeres, and Joey Terrill's T-shirts, with curatorial insights drawn from theorists like Sara Ahmed and José Esteban Muñoz, focusing on artists' experiences in challenging cultural environments.
Key facts
- Exhibition dates: June 21–August 19, 2018
- Location: Hunter College Art Galleries, New York
- Over fifty artists featured
- Focused on queer Chicana/o networks from late 1960s to early 1990s
- Central artist: Edmundo "Mundo" Meza (1955–85)
- Part of Getty initiative Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA
- Curated by C. Ondine Chavoya and David Evans Frantz
- Included works by Carlos Almaraz, Joey Terrill, Ricardo Valverde, ASCO, and others
Entities
Artists
- Carlos Almaraz
- Edmundo "Mundo" Meza
- Gronk
- Robert Legorreta
- Cyclona
- Ricardo Valverde
- Maya Valverde
- Ray Navarro
- Joey Terrill
- Harry Gamboa Jr.
- Willie Herrón III
- Patssi Valdez
- Roberto Jacoby
- Simon Doonan
- Sara Ahmed
- José Esteban Muñoz
- C. Ondine Chavoya
- David Evans Frantz
- Madeline M. Turner
- Leticia Alvarado
- Stan Narten
- Fredrik Nilsen
- Jef Huereque
- Pat Meza
Institutions
- Hunter College Art Galleries
- ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries
- The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
- Getty
- Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA
- 205 Hudson Gallery
- Bertha and Karl Leubsdrof Gallery
- ACT UP/New York
- DIVA TV
- St. Patrick's Cathedral
- Maxfield Bleu
- USC Libraries
- Duke University Press
- University of Minnesota Press
- New York University Press
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Los Angeles
- California
- Tijuana
- Mexico
- East Los Angeles
- West Hollywood
- St. Patrick's Cathedral
- New York City
- Argentina
- London
- Durham
- Minneapolis