Through Tarot, Symbolism, and Vibrant Colors the Artist’s First Solo Exhibition in the United States Explores Political and Environmental Activism in Latin America
—Opening March 23, 2023—
(Miami, FL — March 22, 2023) — Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) is pleased to present Marcela Cantuária: The South American Dream, the artist’s first solo exhibition in the United States featuring all newly commissioned works. The South American Dream will be on view March 23, 2023 through Spring 2024.
The work of Marcela Cantuária (b. 1991, Rio de Janeiro; lives in Rio de Janeiro) often portrays female figures who navigate regional, international, and social boundaries. Highlighting symbols from tarot and astrology as well as themes that reflect political and environmental activism in Latin America, Cantuária weaves together narratives of social spheres, political associations, and ethereal wishes. Cantuária’s vivid and colorful works are evidence of her versatility and investigations through various mediums and techniques, including painting, textile, and ceramics.
In her exhibition at PAMM, Cantuária invites the viewer to ponder the nature of the South American dream. Explored within the three main paintings, she accents the narratives of critical South American activists and environmentalists, such as Chico Mendes, Dorothy Stang, Maria do Espírito Santo da Silva, Túpac Amaru, and Juana Azurduy de Padilla—all of whom pursued their dreams through resistance and by fighting for their countries and land.
The South American Dream features three large-scale oil paintings, a vibrant textile map of South America, a wood piece resembling an altar, as well as various panels along the walls of the gallery framing the exhibition. Throughout the space, an arched vinyl wallpaper encloses the paintings while recessed lights illuminate the paintings, creating a halo for each. Overall, the exhibition extends a feeling of sanctitude, inviting the viewer to reflect upon corporeal narratives, ambitions, and the potential of achieving each through faith.
“Marcela Cantuária has transformed the double-height gallery into a magical space of remembrance, hope, and dream by combining activism with her interests in tarot through vibrant colors and strong symbolisms. I am excited to bring her voice to the US and share with a global audience not only her practice, but the many Latin American narratives that she captures within her work,” said PAMM Associate Curator Jennifer Inacio.
While Cantuária’s research underscores where struggles and injustices lie, her paintings point to the beauty of the fight that often persists in these stories; thus, the paintings become monuments for iconic South American figures who, despite dangers and devastating odds, fought for their visions. In The South American Dream, Cantuária elevates and revives these histories, ideals, and battles, sharing with viewers the richness of South American natural resources that so many struggle to protect.
This exhibition is a reflection of PAMM’s mission to showcase works that consider Miami’s diverse cultural landscape and unique position as the nexus between North and South America. In honoring its commitment to spotlight artists from the Caribbean, Latin America, and the African diaspora, PAMM offers a platform for genuine human interaction and exchange.
Marcela Cantuária: The South American Dream is organized by PAMM Associate Curator Jennifer Inacio.
EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING
Art Talk: Marcela Cantuária in Conversation with Jennifer Inacio
Thursday, March 23, 7-8pm
RSVP here.
Celebrate the opening of Marcela Cantuária: The South American Dream with a discussion between the artist and exhibition curator Jennifer Inacio around the creation of Cantuária’s first solo show in the United States, and how these works fit into her larger practice.
The talk will also be live-streamed via YouTube Live and simultaneously interpreted into American Sign Language, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. Before and after the talk, guests are invited to mingle on the terrace to the sounds of the womxn of WAXY, a Miami-based all-women, all vinyl DJ collective.
ABOUT PAMM
Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), led by Director Franklin Sirmans, promotes artistic expression and the exchange of ideas, advancing public knowledge and appreciation of art, architecture, and design, and reflecting the diverse community of its pivotal geographic location at the crossroads of the Americas. The nearly 40-year-old South Florida institution, formerly known as Miami Art Museum (MAM), opened a new building, designed by world-renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron, on December 4, 2013 in Downtown Miami’s Maurice A. Ferré Park. The facility is a state-of-the-art model for sustainable museum design and progressive programming and features 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor program space with flexible galleries; shaded outdoor verandas; a waterfront restaurant and bar; a museum shop; and an education center with a library, media lab, and classroom spaces.
