Curated by Samu Cortez, Trueque: Part I showcases the work of eight artists from the Bay Area and Mexico to imagine reciprocal systems of exchange beyond the lens of our current capitalist paradigm. Oftentimes, when we think about exchange, we think about an equal monetary trade for goods. But what are the implications when exchange happens without following the guidelines of that system? What happens, when alternatively, there is an exchange of memories, cultures, feelings, shared knowledge, or physical goods with others?

In Spanish, "Trueque" means “the non-capitalist exchange of goods or an exchange beyond currency.” This exhibition focuses on the capacity of exchange outside of a capitalist system to create new and shared ideas, as well as shared collective spaces. Inspired by the guidelines of the artist collective Aguas Migrantes, Trueque will highlight the production of this alternative system through the lens of artistic practices by Latinx and immigrant artists both here in the Bay Area and in Mexico.


Trueque: Part I will be on view in our online gallery from January 7 - 25, 2021 and paves the way for Trueque: Part II which will explore exchange across boundary and border, in real time and space, coming in 2022.


Join us at our virtual Second Saturday on Jan. 9 from 6-8pm for artist talks & Objeto Ritual — a mini workshop by Omar Navia and Trueque curator Samu Cortez. Guests are encouraged to bring an object of importance to share and will be invited to imagine and write about a personal ritual based on memory, exchange, and connection.

View the exhibition here.
Register for our virtual 2nd Saturday opening here.


Upcoming Events on January, 21, 2021
Register for a Mask Making Workshop with Samu Cortez & Omar Navia.
Register for a Listening Session of the Statistics Project with RMR.
*The Statistics III archive includes some content that may feel difficult or triggering to hear about. Learn more here about the content of this evenings program.

Image Info: Omar Navia, Círculo de Protección 4, 2019, Mixed media, 51 x 47 in.