Salt Lake City
CUAC Contemporary Art
As presidential candidates muddle around in the public arena, failing to articulate a humane approach to immigration, the American public is left to wonder: Who else can take up the baton and defend the basic rights of migrant workers? We’ve all heard how laborers—from Mexican fruit pickers to Vietnamese salon workers—undertake perilous journeys only to face a profusion of obstacles once here. Perhaps most disconcerting is the apathy of the people around them. Indeed, at the heart of the “immigration issue” lies a profound quandary: How can a demographic so deeply embedded in American life be utterly invisible to the point of political impotence? Rodrigo Valenzuela explored these questions in his recent show. Five oversize flags hung from the walls in the front gallery, with three narrow light boxes extending into the room between them. The light boxes contained images of union chapter emblems, photos of protests, and film stills …see the entire review in the print version of May’s Sculpture magazine.
