The Museum Of Contemporary Photography Presents Gripping Exhibit On Settler Colonialism

The Museum of Contemporary Photography presents a gripping exhibit on the history of settler colonialism in North America.

Kimowan Metchewais’ “Indian Handsign” (undated) is featured in the Museum of Contemporary Photography’s exhibit Native America: In Translation.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and for the nine Native artists whose works are featured in the Museum of Contemporary Photography’s Native America: In Translation, that statement rings profoundly true. Curated by Wendy Red Star, an artist in MoCP’s collection, Native America showcases intriguing works by Rebecca Belmore, Nalikutaar Jacqueline Cleveland, Koyoltzintli, Duane Linklater and more to probe and correct the history and expand collective memories about land rights, heritage and identity in the context of colonialism in North America.

“I hope viewers take away a sense of the complex histories of Indigenous peoples in North America and the trauma brought on by colonial settlers, as well as a sense of the rich ancestral traditions that are still flourishing in Native communities today,” says Karen Irvine, MoCP chief curator and deputy director. “The exhibition contains astute and biting criticism of settler colonialism, often combined with beautiful references to ancestral culture such as language, ritual, symbolism and storytelling.” Through May 12, 600 S. Michigan Ave.