LACMA's locura: Art from the Spanish world, not in Spanish

Fitting that I've been musing lately on how the many faces of what it means to be Mexican intersects with the art world, because a big show on 300 years of viceregal art in Latin America opened this week at LACMA, covering the years between the arrival of the Europeans in the late 1400s and the national independence movements in the early 1800s. It is an impressive show, with paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts like insanely detailed silver-embossed chocolate mugs and spice boxes.

Trouble is, the information on such pieces and how they were made is unavailable to about half of L.A. None of the exhibition information panels are presented bilingually, in Spanish, the language that essentially binds most of the show together as a historical and aesthetic document. This is a serious error on the part of the curators and the institutions involved, particularly LACMA, L.A.'s county museum.

I overheard several the reporters from the Spanish media grumbling over the lack of Spanish panels in the show during the press preview last week. In light of the city's sharply shifting demographics, presenting such an important exhibition bilingually would have been ideal for encouraging scores of low-income immigrants who are thirsty for intellectual succor beyond working all day to send money to the countries where this art came from to become a museum-going population -- -- nevermind the public museum's high admissions fees. (Shouldn't all public museums be free, all the time?) LACMA's Latin American art curator Ilona Katzew told La Opinion's Antonio Mejías-Rentas, in an unsatisfactory excuse, that not presenting the show in Spanish was "a question of space, fundamentally."

Hmm. Space never seems to be an issue at the museums at San Diego's Balboa Park and in La Jolla, where the major institutions seem to make it a point -- given their positioning in a binational urban zone with Tijuana -- to present all their shows in English and Spanish. And in Mexico, going to museums is practically a routine of daily life, up and down the classes. Why can't immigrants be encouraged to retain this tradition?

It's not just LACMA's responsibility to be more inclusive and open the doors of the art institutions to the city's working class. Fundación Televisa provided a large chunk of funding for this particular show: Where was the foresight? Are there public campaigns on the part of the consulates to encourage Latino immigrants to pull away from the television and junk food and feed their soul?

The show is organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Antiguo Colegio de San Idelfonso, and LACMA. One highlight is the presentation, once more, of a series of caste paintings, beautifully illustrating the diverse levels of hierarchy in New Spain's increasingly confusing racial caste system, from criollo to mulatto and everything in between. The faces in those panels are also the faces of the new Los Angeles.

* Links: Christopher Knight review, La Opinion story 1, La Opinion story 2, LACMA release 1, LACMA release 2, NPR piece. * Image: "Christ Child Crucified," 18th century, Guatemala.

Comments

[cindylu]

I went to LACMA when I was in 6th grade to see the Mexico: Splendors of Thirty Centuries exhibit. I can't remember if it was bilingual or not, but I do remember being awestruck as I went from room to room and through eras. I knew very little about Mexican art (save for Frida Kahlo, thanks to my cousin who majored in design at SDSU). The exhibit really affected me and made me more interested in my culture. It seems like this exhibit has the potential to do so as well, at least for the kids who can read in English.

[CTL]

Perhaps the idea was that they didn't expect that many illegal immigrants would show up. Seriously. If that's the case, I don't fault them for it.

[Gustavo Arellano]

In a time and city when the beloved Dodgers have many bilingual signs, for LACMA to not do as such is the epitome of bad business acumen. And CTL is a douche.

[David Carrillo Peñaloza]

I plan on checking out the exhibit with my mother. I guess I'll have to do all the translating.

[EL CHAVO!]

What a sad excuse from LACMA, "a question of space". Maybe it's fundamentally about who they want to see in the space, and those they seem happy to do without.

[CTL]

Gustavo,

You're not by any chance related to Gilberto Arellano (http://www.katu.com/news/9020302.html) are you? The names seem just too familiar to be coincidental.

[Daniel H.]

No he isn't CTL. Gustavo is your local "Ask a Mexican!" columnist and just your average national media figure. Thanks for the comments everyone, and good point Gustavo on how much more progressive and L.A.-friendly Los Dodgers are these days.

[Gustavo Arellano]

If you're going to throw hyper-linked insults at me, at least make sure to link correctly!

[CTL]

Typepad does the html, goober! (and how did I know you'd say that?)

[lisa hunter]

Thanks for pointing out the label issue. I now live in Quebec (land of draconian French-only language laws), and am acutely aware of what signage means politically. Sometimes signs are only in one language because the speakers of the other language aren't particularly welcome.

[Daniel H.]

Thanks for your comment, Lisa. Cool blog. Like the profile statement!

[Javier Rivera]

I had the same issue at the Diego Rivera Web Museum, We only had the site in english, but a big latin american viewers group contacted us to let us know their concern, we just redesign it and has a new look, content and of course, is bilingual.
http://www.diegorivera.com

[Daniella]

By prevailing reasoning,LACMA would be obliged to show German Expressionists with English/German text, the French Impressionists in English/French, Islamic art in any language spoken in the Islamic world and so forth. Get over it people. When one immigrates to a country, one learns the prevailing/official language. Besides, is a picture not worth 1000 words?