El Espacio 23 Unveils Seventh Exhibition, ‘Nothing Is Linear: Relations Across Latin America and Its Diasporas’
An international team of curators brings together more than 130 works by 120 artists to challenge singular narratives
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El Espacio 23 – the contemporary art space founded by philanthropists, entrepreneurs and art collectors Jorge M. and Darlene Pérez – announces the Miami debut of its seventh exhibition, Nothing Is Linear: Relations Across Latin America and Its Diasporas, on view from Nov. 19, 2026, through Aug. 14, 2027.
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Ana Segovia Huapango Torero, 2020 © Ana Segovia. Image courtesy the artist and kurimanzutto Mexico City / New York
Featuring more than 130 works by 120 artists, Nothing Is Linear brings together artists with different connections to Latin America, from those born in the region to those whose ties have been shaped by ancestry, migration or years of cultural and artistic exchange. Together, their work challenges the idea that Latin America can be defined by a single geography, history or identity, exploring instead the many ways people experience and connect to the region.
“Latin America has always been very personal to me. I was born in Argentina to Cuban parents, grew up in Colombia, and have lived in Miami for most of my adult life, so I have never thought of the region as something defined solely by geography,” said Jorge M. Pérez. “Nothing Is Linear brings together many of the histories and experiences that have shaped the collection over the years. I am very happy that the exhibition begins here in Miami and will then travel to Monterrey and New York, creating new conversations in each place.”
The exhibition is curated by Anelys Alvarez and Patricia Hanna of El Espacio 23; Patrick Charpenel, Executive Director of El Museo del Barrio in New York; and Taiyana Pimentel, Director of Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO) in Mexico. Following its Miami debut, Nothing Is Linear will travel to MARCO in Monterrey and El Museo del Barrio in New York, with exhibition dates to be announced.
“We began this exhibition with questions rather than with a fixed definition of Latin America,” said Anelys Alvarez, Curator of the Jorge M. Pérez Collection and El Espacio 23. “As we looked closely at the collection, unexpected connections emerged across places, generations, and experiences. Those connections ultimately shaped the exhibition and the way we understand its title, Nothing Is Linear.”
Spanning painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation and performance, Nothing Is Linear is organized into four interconnected sections:
- Embodied Histories considers the body as a site where identity, memory, race, gender, intimacy and resilience intersect. Through works by Ana Segovia, Agustín Cárdenas, Lari Pittman and Adrián Villar Rojas, among others, the section explores how artists across generations and geographies have negotiated personal and collective histories through representations of the body.
- Gestures of Resistance examines the ways individuals and communities navigate systems of power through emigration, language, collective action and agency. Works by Claudia Martínez Garay, Teresa Burga, Tony Labat and Mariela Scafati, among others, move beyond ideas of confrontation to consider persistence, memory, negotiation and transformation as forms of resistance.
- Symbolic Languages explores Latin America’s rich and influential history of abstraction, with particular attention to women artists who have expanded and redefined the field. Featuring artists including Fanny Sanín, Mercedes Pardo, Julio Le Parc, Alfred Jensen, Allora & Calzadilla, Loló Soldevilla, Sandra Monterroso, Ximena Garrido-Lecca, and Bubu Negrón, the section considers abstraction not only as a formal language, but as a vehicle for cultural memory, spirituality, symbolism and alternative ways of understanding the world.
- Spaces of Meaning turns to the environments – both real and imagined – through which people construct a sense of place. Works by Alia Farid, Carmen Argote, Héctor Zamora, José Parlá and Kenny Rivero examine cities, neighborhoods shaped by collective memory and human presence, while artists including Ana Tiscornia, Leonor Fini, Guillermo Kuitca and Jorge Camacho expand the idea of place through intimacy, surrealism and imagination.
“Dialogue has been at the heart of this exhibition from the start, and that reflects how we approach programming at El Espacio 23,” said Patricia Hanna, Director of El Espacio 23. “Rather than guiding visitors through a fixed narrative, we want to create space for their own interpretations and discoveries. As the exhibition travels from Miami to Monterrey and New York, each presentation will offer new opportunities to engage with the works and see them in a different light.”
That spirit of exchange extends to the exhibition’s international presentations, where the works will engage with different audiences and cultural contexts.
“The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey is located in a city in northern Mexico with very close ties to the southern United States. Consequently, the interdisciplinary discourse proposed in this exhibition will engage with an audience that lives in the city and its context: a place of rich history and cultural life that also sparks conversations about the social dynamics that shape it,” said Taiyana Pimentel, Director of Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO).
A fully illustrated catalogue will accompany Nothing Is Linear, featuring essays by Anelys Alvarez and curator and researcher Sebastián Vidal Mackinson. The publication will include artworks beyond those displayed at El Espacio 23, providing a broader view of the exhibition as it travels to MARCO and El Museo del Barrio, where each presentation will be adapted to its location and audience.
“Nothing Is Linear expands the conversation around Latin America by considering the experiences of its diasporas and the many ways identity, memory and belonging move across borders,” said Patrick Charpenel, Executive Director of El Museo del Barrio. “At El Museo, these questions are central to our work with Puerto Rican, Latine and Latin American artists and communities. We look forward to bringing the exhibition into dialogue with New York’s histories and audiences.”
In Miami, the exhibition will extend beyond the galleries through performances, artist residencies and public programming. The opening celebration will feature This Is a Latin Body, a performance by María José Arjona commissioned by El Espacio 23 that examines how identity, nationality, language and belonging shape perceptions of the Latin American body.
El Espacio 23 will also continue its artist residency program, welcoming Claudia Martínez Garay, Esteban Cabeza de Baca, Iván Argote, Alexander Apóstol and Lucía Vidales, among others. Additional performances, conversations and public programs will be announced throughout the exhibition’s run.
El Espacio 23’s hours of operation are Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For reservations and information about guided tours, visit www.elespacio23.org or email info@elespacio23.com. A full artist checklist is available to the media upon request.
ABOUT EL ESPACIO 23
El Espacio 23 (EE23) is a contemporary art space founded by philanthropists, entrepreneurs and art collectors Jorge M. and Darlene Pérez. Opened in 2019, EE23 occupies a repurposed 28,000-square-foot warehouse in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood and offers free admission year-round, with walk-ins welcome. Drawing from the world-renowned Jorge M. Pérez Contemporary Art Collection, EE23 engages artists, curators and the public through exhibitions, artist residencies and special projects. The space is part of the Pérez family’s broader commitment to supporting the arts, which also includes philanthropic initiatives such as the Pérez CreARTE Grants Program. For more information, please visit elespacio23.org.
ABOUT EL MUSEO DEL BARRIO
El Museo del Barrio is the nation’s leading Latine and Latin American cultural institution. The Museum welcomes visitors of all backgrounds to discover the artistic landscape of these communities through its extensive Permanent Collection, varied exhibitions and publications, bilingual public programs, educational activities, festivals, and special events. The Museum is located at 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street in New York City.
The Museum is open Thursdays through Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is pay what you can. To connect with El Museo via social media, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X. For more information, please visit www.elmuseo.org.
ABOUT MUSEO DE ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO DE MONTERREY (MARCO)
The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO) promotes contemporary art as a key tool for education, awareness and cultural enrichment. Designed by architect Ricardo Legorreta and located in the heart of Monterrey, the museum opened its doors in 1991. With an emphasis on Latin American visual arts, MARCO has become one of the region’s most important cultural institutions, with more than 290 exhibitions by over 1,000 artists and more than six million visitors. Under the direction of Taiyana Pimentel since 2019, the museum has focused on retrospectives of mid-career Mexican artists with international prominence, such as Pedro Reyes and Damián Ortega, and on collaborations with institutions such as The Dia Art Foundation, Colección Femsa and others.
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