“In Looting, my mouth acts as a metaphor for my land,” Galindo said. For this performance, she had eight fillings, made of pure Guatemalan gold, inserted into her molars by a dentist. She then traveled to Germany, where the fillings were extracted. All that remains is the gold: imprints of her mouth that resemble tiny sculptures from an imaginary archaeological museum. Looting enacts the violence of extractive economies, like mining, as well as the violence by which many artifacts have historically entered museum collections.
Chosen Memories, April 30–September 9, 2023
Research in progress; information about this work may be incomplete.
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Regina José Galindo
Guatemalan, born 1974 3 works onlineIn her work, Regina José Galindo subjects her body to the experiences of others. Her performances explore not only the histories and circumstances of people from her native Guatemala, but also the violence that power structures wreak around the world.
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Provenance
Regina José Galindo, 2010
ROLLO Contemporary Art, London
Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, New York and Caracas, 2011
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2017
Exhibition history
Berlin, Germany, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, “On Rage,” March 14-May 9, 2010
Venice, 54th Venice Biennale, "ILLUMInations", June 4 - November 27, 2011
Lyon, France, La Biennale de Lyon Resonance, “Interior and the Collectors. Collection no. 1. Group show,” 2011
Vitoria-Gasteiz, Centro-Museo Vasco de Arte Contemporáneo ARTIUM, "Regina José Galindo. Piel de gallina", January 27 - May 1, 2012
Tenerife, Spain, Espacio de las Artes TEA, "Regina José Galindo. Piel de gallina", November 30 2012 - March 30, 2013
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno (CAMM), "Regina José Galindo. Piel de gallina", July 26 - November 3, 2013
Milan, Italy, Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, “Regina José Galindo: Estoy Viva (I’m Alive),” March 25 - June 8, 2014
New York, The Kitchen, "Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros: Viewing Room", January 15, 2015
Puebla, Mexico, Museo Amparo, “Portadores de sentido,” February 9 - July 22, 2019
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