2019 SUR:BIENNIAL

Discussions around the history of Latin American Art are often dominated by representational imagery, frequently presented in popular community-oriented mediums such as printmaking and muralism. However, this particular focus can overshadow the long-standing influence of abstraction and non-objective production in Latin America from Pre-Columbian architecture and indigenous textile designs to influential mid-century modernist movements such as Arte Madí in Argentina, Neoconcretismo in Brazil, and Kinetic/Op Art in Venezuela.

The upcoming exhibition, Southern Geometries, at the Cerritos College Art Gallery, part of the multi-venue 5th SUR:biennial, highlights the non-objective work of seven contemporary artists from the Latin American diaspora. Building upon the abstract and non-objective traditions of the past, each of these artists has developed their own distinct approaches to artistic production, often transecting an overt interest in compositional innovation with a simultaneous focus on issues such as physicality, materiality, and referentiality.

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Founded in 2011, the SUR:biennial seeks to explore the complex notions of globalization and exchange that takes place in the ambiguous borderlands between Los Angeles and the broader 'South.' The independently-curated biennial exhibitions showcase recent and newly-commissioned works by local and international artists who have been influenced by the cultures and artistic traditions of Mexico, Central & South America, and the Caribbean. This year, the biennial venues include Cerritos College Art Gallery, Cypress College Art Gallery, Eastside International, Long Beach City College Art Gallery, Rio Hondo College Art Gallery, and Torrance Art Museum.