Visiones
The theme of the 2017 Indie Grits Festival is Visiones. The theme will lead programmers and inspire all of the visual aspects of the festival from the festival’s design and art performances/exhibitions, to panel discussions and film selection.
Visiones is inspired by the rapid migration from Latin America, which is changing the face of the Southeast. South Carolina has the second fastest growing Latino population in the United States. More than half of Latinxs in South Carolina have ties to Mexico, followed by Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia. Unfortunately, Latinxs remain the targets of xenophobia, discrimination, and anti-immigration policies nationwide. In the conservative South, this is even more the case; what is even more troubling is that this social turmoil has created a grave discrepancy between how Latinx culture is perceived and what it exemplifies.
The festival co-curators offer the following curatorial statement:
“Visiones focuses on individual artists’ visions for the future of the Latinx community and Latin Americans around the world. Latinx and Latin American artists are responding to technological and cultural advancements in innovative and timely ways, making it even more important to define our place in the art world and society in our own way. It is crucial for our community to exchange ideas, build strong ties, and express the depth of our culture through the creative arts.”
Through the theme Visiones, we seek not only to bring Latinx culture into the light, but also to celebrate it. Visiones will provide new opportunities to redefine Latinx and Latin American culture and make a new vision for the future possible.
Curator
Alfredo Salazar-Caro, born in Mexico City, Mexico, is a multimedia artist and new media curator. More info here.
