Student Affairs

'Invisible Bodies' exhibit on view in HUB-Robeson Galleries until February 2024

By Lina Puerta, "Peach Tree Crop Laborer," 2018. Handmade paper composed of pigmented cotton and linen paper pulp; embedded with sequined and metallic fabrics; lace, fur and finished with gouache. Credit: Courtesy of artistAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The HUB-Robeson Galleries present "Invisible Bodies," an exploration of migrant labor through an artistic lens, curated by the Border Gallery and Emireth Herrera Valdés. The exhibition will be on display in Art Alley until Feb. 18, 2024.

About the exhibit

"Invisible Bodies" examines the intersection of migration and labor, illuminating the often-overlooked narratives of those whose bodies remain hidden in the shadows of society. Curated by the Border Gallery and Emireth Herrera Valdés, this exhibition explores the resilience, determination and the hierarchical structures related to immigration and race in the United States.

Featuring 15 artists with socially engaged projects, paintings, sculptures, installations and performances, "Invisible Bodies" illuminates the labor's demanding nature, its inadequate compensation, and undervaluation, while delving into the gendered and racialized dimensions of migrant bodies as non-citizen workers, crucial to constructing today's society. The gallery's green walls symbolize support for an open immigration system, allowing immigrants to contribute to the nation's labor force.

Featured artists are Abang-guard (Maureen Catbagan + Jevijoe Vitug), Bianca Abdi-Boragi, Magdalena Dukiewicz, Brendan Fernandes, Billy Gerard Frank, Zac Hacmon, Julia Justo, Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow, Jamie Martinez, Zahra Nazari, Michael Pribich, Lina Puerta, Coralina Rodriguez Meyer, Luis Alvaro Sahagun and Manon Wada.

The Border Gallery prioritizes showcasing the work of talented immigrant artists, while also supporting local artists, aiming to foster a level playing field and showcase a range of diverse voices and backgrounds.

Emireth Herrera Valdés (born in Saltillo, Mexico) is an independent curator and writer based in New York. Herrera has curated exhibitions such as "Invisible Hands" at 601Artspace, "S.T.E.P." at the Queens Museum, "Whispers" at Spring/Break 2023, "Tongue Tide," and "3459'" at Flux Factory in New York, and "Mariana Lagunas: Todos Bien" at the Antonio López Sáenz Gallery in Sinaloa, Mexico. She also co-curated the exhibition "Grilo/Fernández-Muro" at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, in collaboration with the Institute of Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA).

Classes, student organizations and University offices are encouraged to visit the HUB-Robeson Galleries, a unit of Student Affairs. Inquiries can be directed to Galleries@psu.edu. For more information on this and other exhibitions, contact the HUB-Robeson Galleries at 814-865-2563 or visit their website. Keep up to date with the HUB-Robeson Galleries by signing up for their Listserv or follow them on Instagram @hubrobesongalleries.

Last Updated October 23, 2023

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