The Aesthetics of Resistance in Latin American Art in Canada

This dissertation examines contemporary art by Latin American diaspora artists in Canada, focusing on artworks that address trauma, displacement, feminist resistance, and anti-colonial perspectives in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and British Colombia. While drawing on extensive artists' interviews and exhibition histories, this dissertation intends to highlight the formation of an aesthetic of resistance specific to the diaspora in Canada.

By referencing key artists such as Alejandro Arauz, Osvaldo Ramírez Castillo, Francisco-Fernando Granados, Claudia Bernal, Maria Ezcurra, Helena Martin Franco, Claudia Chagoya, Laura Barrón, Paolo Almario, and Monica Martínez, this study posits positionality as fundamental. The research also focuses on coalition building as a method of resistance with a close examination of the non-profit arts organization, Latin American Canadian Art Projects. Furthermore, recognizing "Latin American art" as a contested construct serving a geopolitical and economic purpose, this dissertation employs the term as a marker of shared displacement experiences and histories within the context of the diaspora.

The various case studies highlight resistance and critical consciousness, illuminating the geopolitical and economic structures that marginalize diaspora artists. The featured artists are united not by origin but by their reasons for leaving Latin America and their resistance strategies within a Canadian context. What ties these artists together is not necessarily their culture, ethnicity, race or language. Rather it is their shared interest and commitment to resist hegemonic systems of power. Their work challenges and critiques oppressive regimes, and subverts imperial patterns, offering what I term an aesthetic of resistance. Drawing upon positionality and oppositional consciousness as key concepts, this research investigates issues of representation and erasure of Latin American art in Canada. Ultimately, this dissertation foregrounds the importance of coalition building and artistic renditions of resistance that respond to violence and oppression as a methodology and aesthetic. This knowledge offers not only historical insights but proposes a deeper understanding and contextualization of current phenomena of subjugation and how artists respond to oppression.