Camilo Ontiveros: in the ring

October 11, 2012 – February 17, 2013
Museum of Latin American Art, California

In the last five years conceptual artist Camilo Ontiveros (Mexico, b. 1978) has been exploring social issues, especially those related to immigration, the border between Mexico and the United States and notions of value. For his latest project, Camilo Ontiveros: In the Ring, the artist focuses on the intersections between the Mexican and the Filipino cultures, through his research on boxing. In recent years the rising career of boxer Manny Pacquiao has brought to the attention of the public several significant fights, generally held in the U.S., between Filipino and Mexican boxers. In addition, these two countries share a rather unknown history that dates back to the 16th century and expanded for more than three hundred years under the rule of Spain. The exhibition, composed by a boxing ring, footage and photographs of boxing trainings and fights in Mexico, the Philippines and the U.S., confronts the viewer with a visual clash of two postcolonial societies.

The boxing ring will constitute a physical and conceptual platform for debates that will take place throughout the duration of the exhibition.