Regina José Galindo

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Exhibited for the first time since entering the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, Regina José Galindo’s Tierra (2013) explores connections between the exploitation of labor, resources, and human life in Guatemala. Presented at a larger-than-life scale, Galindo stands naked on a parcel of land that is excavated by an encroaching bulldozer. Conjuring imagery of machine-dug mass graves, the work draws attention to the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Indigenous people, mostly Maya Ixil, during the Guatemalan Civil War (1960–96). As the excavator digs around her, the artist stands fixed and unrelenting. Galindo recalls, “That is what I wanted to underscore in Tierra: around me there is nothing but chaos and theft, but I remain on my feet, ready to fight, to defend the land that roots me.” This presentation is the first in a series of collaborations between MoMA and PS1 highlighting works in the Museum of Modern Art's collection.

Regina José Galindo is a visual artist and poet who works in performance. Galindo has participated in the 49th, 51st, 53rd, and 54th editions of the Venice Biennale, as well as documenta 14 (2017). In 2005, she was awarded the Golden Lion Award for young artists at the Venice Biennale. Galindo was awarded the Grand Prize of the Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Art in 2011 and received a 2021 Robert Rauschenberg Award. Her works are held in numerous collections, including the Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Tate Modern, London; and Princeton University Art Museum.

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Exhibida aquí por primera vez desde que entró en la colección del Museum of Modern Art, Tierra (2013) conecta la explotación del trabajo, los recursos y la vida humana en Guatemala. En esta presentación a gran escala, Galindo permanece desnuda en una parcela de tierra mientras una excavadora remueve la tierra a su alrededor. La obra evoca la masacre de cientos de miles de personas indígenas—en su mayoría Mayas Ixiles—durante la guerra civil de Guatemala (1960-96), enterradas en fosas comunes excavadas a máquina. Mientras la excavadora trabaja a su alrededor, Galindo permanece parada, fija e implacable. Ella ha expresado: “Esto es lo que quería enfatizar en la pieza Tierra. A mi alrededor todo es caos, todo es robo, y, sin embargo, permanezco de pie, en posición frontal de lucha, defendiendo la tierra en la cual me sostengo con mis raíces”. Esta presentación es la primera de una serie de colaboraciones entre el MoMA y el PS1 que resaltan obras de la colección del MoMA.