Taking its title from the popular Spanish expression, ANOTHER SPACE’s upcoming exhibition Pan y Circo: Appease, Distract, Disrupt will examine how artists from various generations frequently use circus tropes, props and other forms of spectacle, as tools for a political critique on the widespread rise of populism. Originally attributed to the Roman poet Juvenal, ‘Panem et circenses’, referred to Ancient Rome’s use of free wheat and costly circus games to appease the populace as the Empire collapsed. A staple in Latin America’s political vocabulary, the expression is nowadays employed almost colloquially to describe public official’s use of giveaways and hunger as political tools to distract and divert the public’s attention from their failed policies.

Featuring works by a multigenerational group of international artists including Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Anna Maria Maiolino, Bruce Nauman, Laure Prouvost, Andres Serrano, Cindy Sherman and Javier Téllez, the exhibition will examine how artists have used these themes in their creative practice, often to reflect on social and economic conditions, abuses of power and the rise of populism.

Pan y Circo: Appease, Distract, Disrupt if organized by Estrellita B. Brodsky and ANOTHER SPACE. The exhibition is set to open Fall 2019 and will remain on view through January 2020.

About ANOTHER SPACE

ANOTHER SPACE is a program established by the Daniel and Estrellita B. Brodsky Family Foundation to broaden international awareness and appreciation of art from Latin America. Located in Chelsea, New York, ANOTHER SPACE is a program dedicated to building recognition of Latin American art within a global context through guest-curated exhibitions, educational programs and artists discussions.

Link: https://www.anotherspace.org