“Un Terreno Sin Nombre” Launches Latinx Arts Week
The arbitrary nature of borders, the idea that certain people have or don’t have the right to live on one side of an imaginary line versus another, the notion that someone doesn’t deserve to belong in a space – these are the themes that will be explored in “Un Terreno Sin Nombre” [A Land With No Name] this Thursday, April 24th at The Luminary. The art exhibition marks the beginning of the inaugural St. Louis Latinx Arts Week, and is just one of the events illuminating the vibrant Latino culture in St. Louis from the new Latinx Arts Network event.
Curated by Miriam Ruiz and José Garcia, “Un Terreno Sin Nombre” explores identity, migration, and belonging through Latino perspectives. “The artists made work about their identities and experiences as a Latino person,” Ruiz said. “The making of the works in this particular time brings into the context of the borders. Putting people in boxes allows people to treat others inhumanely. Anything that humanizes a group of people that are being othered is a powerful statement.”
Ruiz and Garcia are both St. Louis-based artists and board members of the Latinx Arts Network, and have been in charge of the organization’s annual art show for several years. Ruiz currently works at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, and her work is focused on American labor culture and history, Latino identities within the U.S., and resistance to U.S. imperialism. Garcia is currently the Museum Academic Programs Coordinator at the Kemper Art Museum and a part-time faculty member in Photography and Social Practice at Saint Louis University while also serving on the boards of The Luminary and New Music Circle. He was selected as a 2024-2025 Kranzberg Arts Foundation Visual Artist in Residence. His mode of production and research is deeply influenced by his experiences as a first-generation Mexican-American and DIY punk aesthetics.
The duo decided for “Un Terreno Sin Nombre,” as it is a part of the first ever Latinx Art Week, to invite both St. Louis artists and other cities from the Midwest. There are 12 artists and over 20 works on display in this exhibition, including a variety of mediums including video, sculpture, painting, prints, and textiles. Including the curators, the artists include Eva Aguero Benzecri, Natalie Baldeón, Lourdes Del Mar Santiago Lebrón, William Estrada, Vivian Garcia Cruz, Sebastián Llovera, Tess Losada-Tindalle, Seso Martentes, Frieda Silca, and Vania Sot.
“Since our goal is to platform Latino artists, we usually decide on the theme after we choose the artists and even after some works are selected. The titles of the shows have often been—and therefore place the artworks themselves—in conversation with salient issues surrounding Latinx-lived experiences in the United States,” Ruiz says. “The title refers to a thought experiment that José has posed to his students before. What does land become when it is not recognized as a political or commercial entity? How do its inhabitants think of themselves and the world around them?”
The opening of “Un Terreno Sin Nombre” will be at The Luminary (2701 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, MO 63118) April 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. and will feature music and refreshments. There will be a tour of the exhibition on Sunday, April 27 at 1 p.m.; an artists workshop follows from 2 to 4 p.m. Recuerdos [Mementos] will be hosted and taught by local artists Natalie Baldeón and Sarah Paulsen. Gallery hours for the exhibition will be April 25 through 27 from 12 to 4 p.m. and there will be a gallery guide available to purchase artwork directly from contributing artists.
The Latinx Art Network is a network for artists and art advocates who support and encourage the Hispanic/Latinx Arts in the Greater St. Louis area, was founded in 2018, and is sponsored by the Hispanic Festival Inc. The inaugural Latinx Art Week also includes the Latinx Film Festival, a Melting Flavors Culinary Experience, and more events celebrating the St. Louis Latino community. For a full list of events, visit https://www.latinxstl.com/events.
