Latin American Photographic Memory in Toronto

[Report] Recuerdo: Latin American Photographic Memory in Toronto

Until October 19, the Art Gallery of Ontario presented Recuerdo, a photography exhibition that brought together works exploring memory, identity, and the personal and collective histories of Latin America.
"For me, it's a very emotional experience. I feel more connected to my culture and my family. It makes me remember a lot of things," said Daniela Navas, Nicaraguan-Canadian photographer and designer, after touring the Recuerdo exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario, better known as the AGO.

For Daniela Navas, born in Nicaragua and raised in Canada, visiting the Recuerdo exhibition at the AGO was a way to build bridges with her own past.

"I'd never seen an exhibition like this at the AGO, much less with Nicaraguan photography," she said in a conversation with RCI.

"I saw these photos and understood a little more about what my family went through, having to leave Nicaragua at that time. So it's like connecting the pieces."
A quote from Daniela Navas, a Canadian of Nicaraguan origin
Sowing Recognition and Memory

The exhibition's curator, Marina Dumont-Gauthier, explained that her intention in preparing Recuerdo was to show how Latin American photographic art is part of a larger history, also present in Canada.

"It's about sowing seeds so that Latin American art becomes increasingly and more highly valued here. Canada and Toronto have a significant Latin American community, and I think we need to do something so that people can see themselves represented in museums."
A quote from Marina Dumont-Gauthier, curator at the Art Gallery of Ontario
Read more