Mari Carmen Ramirez States That “Art Exhibitions Are...

Mari Carmen Ramirez states that â€Å"Art exhibitions are privileged vehicles for the representation of individual and collective identities, whether they consciously set out to be so or not†. The most important part of that quote is the latter part, â€Å"whether they consciously set out to be so or not†. Whether or not the Museum of Modern Art was attempting to create, or even join the ongoing narrative about the art of Latin America when they created their survey exhibition, they indeed did. And Wifredo Lam, and his artwork The Jungle were included in that narrative. Wifredo Lam was a Cuban born artist, who spent his life creating works that embodied his roots and his upbringing. His entire career was shaped by his connection to people, in†¦show more content†¦The figures are disjointed, having multiple arms and legs, blending into one another. Almost unrecognizable. The figures have a distinct feminine quality, aligning with the common primitive associations. The bodies all have a pasty moonlight glow, with eerie facial expressions. The background of sugar cane identifies the setting as a Cuban sugarcane field, opening the aware viewer’s eyes to the political commentary the piece possess. The image, however confusing and chaotic, is aimed to address the history of slavery in colonial Cuba, an issue Lam addresses in many of his works. The Jungle was part of an extremely large show held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York city from June to September in 1993. The Museum of Modern art acquired the piece soon after it was created. The show was named Latin American Artists of the Twentieth Century, and was deemed â€Å"the most extensive survey of modern Latin American art ever assembled†. The goal of the show, as stated in the exhibition press release, was to â€Å"highlight the significant international contribution made by †¦artists from throughout the Americas†. An extremely honorable goal. This whole idea fits perfectly into the discussion about museums and galleries showing Latin American works. When showing these works in the United States museums often encounter the problem of characterization, and attempting to fit these works into the western narrative, however the