Changarrito with Gerardo: Instagram Takeover

About the Artist

Gerardo E. Silguero (1st Gen Mexican-American, b. 1994) is a contemporary artist whose work challenges the notion of Nepantla. His work has been exhibited internationally across the USA and Mexico. Silguero’s work is in the collections of the Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, Texas; La Peña Gallery, Austin, Texas; among several other institutions. Silguero received his BA from St. Edward’s University. He lives and works in Austin, Texas. He has a group exhibition opening in Spring 2021 in Los Angeles. Silguero is a self-represented artist.

Nepantla: A concept in Chicano and Latino anthropology, social commentary, criticism, literature, and art that represents a concept of “in-between-ness.” Nepantla is a Nahuatl word that means “in the middle of it” or “middle.” Indigenous people who were invaded by the Spanish created their own “in-between” culture where they would leave behind aspects of their culture that they could not synthesize into the new culture.

Artist Statement

As the child of immigrants, I grew up as a farmworker, traveling from state to state in chase of the next harvest, in chase of the American Dream. No matter the state, I always felt othered. Perhaps it was my bronze complexion, my thick accent, the mole in my Pokémon lunchbox. Unfortunately, the closer I got to the American way, the further I felt from my roots.

Whether I was aware of it or not, nepantla* (a place of in-betweenness) has been at the heart of my practice since the beginning of my artistic career. It is the institutional and cultural burden of feeling too foreign for America, and too American for the motherland and my ancestral ties. Sometimes I wrestle this feeling, sometimes I welcome it, and because of it, the quality of my experience as a child of immigrants in America fluctuates. Every moment, mundane or commemorative, influences whether I feel welcome or othered. My art practice explores both extremes of this experience – celebration and alienation of the brown body.

Changarrito Cart October 22 and 29

Artists have the opportunity to sell their art on the Changarrito cart in front of the Museum (or an offsite location, as representative for the Museum during various Austin festivals). Changarreando expands the reach of the artist by presenting their gallery online, while allowing the option to sell merch over Instagram and receive 100% of the sale.

Gerardo E. Silguero featured his artwork on the Changarrito cart outside the Museum’s entrance on October 22, 2022 and at Viva La Vida on October 29, 2022.

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