Celebrate the opening of Elliot & Erick Jiménez: El Monte with an intimate artist meet and greet. Join twin artists Elliot & Erick Jiménez and exhibition curator Maritza Lacayo for an evening of conversation, connection, and insight into the rich symbolism and storytelling behind their latest work. Explore the world of El Monte as the artists share their inspirations and answer your questions about the exhibition.
After the meet and greet, enjoy music, dominoes, and drinks on PAMM’s waterfront terrace with Capicu! NYC, featuring DJ Lluvia, FKi 1st and special surprise guests from 8-11pm.
About Elliot & Erick Jiménez: El Monte
Elliot & Erick Jiménez: El Monte is the first solo museum exhibition of the artist duo Elliot & Erick Jiménez. The photographers, identical twin brothers, present an entirely new body of work inspired by the spiritual tradition of Lucumí—a syncretic Afro-Caribbean religion that emerged in late nineteenth-century Cuba bringing together elements of Yoruba, Catholicism, and Spiritism—and by Lydia Cabrera’s seminal text El Monte. First published in Cuba in 1954, El Monte is a foundational study of Afro-Cuban religions that was translated into English for the first time in 2023, significantly broadening access to its insights on Caribbean spiritual practices. This exhibition highlights the Jiménez twins’ bicultural upbringing as Cuban Americans raised in the Lucumí tradition.
At the center of the exhibition is a large structure that dominates the gallery space, its interior evoking both a chapel and a forest. The installation references syncretic Caribbean religions, their Catholic counterparts, and the Cuban monte (forest or wilderness)—a site associated with mystery, transformations, and spiritual encounters. Various works explore the artists’ relationship as identical twins, the structure itself symbolizing the shared space of the womb. Other works reimagine well-known art historical compositions through the lens of Lucumí, examining its intersections with colonialism and the Western art historical canon.
While the exhibition primarily features photographs, it also includes sculptural elements interspersed throughout the gallery. Together, these works invite visitors to engage with themes of wonder, mystery, self-reflection, and discovery.
About Elliot & Erick Jiménez
Elliot & Erick Jiménez (b. 1989, Miami, FL) are identical twins and first-generation Cuban Americans, raised in Miami by Cuban immigrants and now based between New York and Miami. Growing up in a biracial family, they inherited Lucumí customs, an influence that continues to shape their work.
Their multidisciplinary practice draws from art history, mythology, Yoruba cosmology, and Catholic syncretism, blurring the boundaries between photography, painting, and sculpture. Through experimental techniques, mixed media, and staged photographs, their work reinterprets Lucumí spirituality within the context of the Western art canon, creating a distinct and evolving visual language.
Their work has been shown in the U.S. and Europe, with solo and group shows at Spinello Projects, Paris Photo, Bass Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Orlando Museum of Art. They are recipients of the CINTAS Foundation Sondra Gilman González-Falla Fellowship in Photography, South Arts Fellowship, Oolite’s Ellies Creator Award, the Florida Prize People’s Choice Award, and the CHANEL Artist Award Program with the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2023, they were commissioned to photograph Bad Bunny for TIME’s first-ever all-Spanish cover in its 100-year history.
Their work is held in the permanent collections of Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Bunker Artspace, and the Orlando Museum of Art. In 2025, they will present their first
solo museum exhibition at PAMM.
