Global Conceptualism's Legacy: Rethinking Latin American Art History
Miguel A. López's essay in Afterall Journal 48 (July 2019) examines how international exhibitions from 'Global Conceptualism' (1999) to 'The Age of Discrepancies' (2007) have shaped the historiography of Latin American Conceptualism. The essay critiques hegemonic vocabularies from the North and proposes a queer cartography inspired by Paul B. Preciado and Giuseppe Campuzano's Transvestite Museum. López argues that 'Global Conceptualism' at Queens Museum of Art, curated by Luis Camnitzer, Jane Farver, and Rachel Weiss, redefined Conceptual art by distinguishing it from 'Conceptualism'—a term encompassing diverse political and cultural narratives. The exhibition's structure created a 'federation of provinces' challenging Western centrality. López questions how these histories affect subjectivisation and sociability, advocating for radical disruption through distantiation and undomesticated forms of belonging.
Key facts
- Essay published in Afterall Journal 48 on July 1, 2019
- Written by Miguel A. López
- References 'Global Conceptualism' exhibition at Queens Museum of Art (April 28, 1999)
- Curated by Luis Camnitzer, Jane Farver, and Rachel Weiss
- Exhibition had eleven geographically defined sections
- Distinguishes between 'Conceptual art' (North American/Western European) and 'Conceptualism' (global, political)
- Draws on Paul B. Preciado's queer cartography and Giuseppe Campuzano's Transvestite Museum
- Critiques neoliberal simplification of historical narratives and normative identity politics
Entities
Artists
- Miguel A. López
- Luis Camnitzer
- Jane Farver
- Rachel Weiss
- Paul B. Preciado
- Giuseppe Campuzano
- Eduardo Costa
Institutions
- Afterall Journal
- Queens Museum of Art
- University of Chicago Press
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Mexico City
- Mexico
Sources
- Afterall —