Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos at the Americas Society

 Exhibition Review: Beatriz Cortez x rafa esparza: Earth and Cosmos at the Americas Society

Earth and Cosmos at the Americas Society brings together the works of Beatriz Cortez and rafa esparza, exploring themes of migration, memory, and the movement of ancient knowledge across ”space” and “time”. The exhibition merges ancient traditions with contemporary artistic practices, focusing on the flow of cultural artifacts and their impact on modern identities.

One of the key pieces, esparza’s Hyperspace: -100km + ∞ (2025), is a sculpture made from basalt and adobe, referencing the Olmec colossal heads and the journey of magma from the Earth’s crust to the surface with the usage of basalt. The combination of raw materials and esparza’s familial connection to adobe-making infuses the piece with a deep connection to his ancestral land.

Cortez’s Cabeza de Jaguar (Monumento #47) (2022) and Gift of the Artist to the Ancient Object Labeled as Human Head Emerging from Monster Jaws (2023) stand in contrast, their sharp steel forms reflecting the violence of displacement and the ongoing journey of looted ancient objects. These works confront the movement of history and the legacies of colonization.

While the exhibition succeeds in its materiality, grounding abstract themes in tangible forms, it occasionally falls short in offering new insights into these conversations about displacement and cultural preservation. While the works are visually interesting, the thematic focus on migration and cultural memory is somewhat predictable, like the 3-D printed artifacts, with few surprises in how these ideas are presented. Nevertheless, the show’s strength lies in the connection between the ancient and the contemporary, offering a tactile experience to its viewers as they drag the dirt across the gallery's floor. 

Danka Latorre, Current Season 472-02

Danka Latorre, Current Season 472-02