A Universal History of Infamy is a multi-site exhibition engaging 16 U.S. Latino and Latin American artists and collectives whose practices defy disciplinary boundaries. A Universal History of Infamy unfolds across three venues: A Universal History of Infamy at LACMA, a project by Vincent Ramos at Charles White Elementary School, and Virtues of Disparity at 18th Street Arts Center. The specific mission and environment differ at each venue, highlighting curatorial nodes of the overall exhibition project: strategies of display via an encyclopedic museum (LACMA), pedagogy—or methods of teaching—through a school (Charles White Elementary School), and artist research at an artist residency complex (18th Street Arts Center).
A Universal History of Infamy is presented as part of the Getty-led Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA initiative, and curated by Rita Gonzalez, curator and acting department head of contemporary art at LACMA; José Luis Blondet, curator of special initiatives at LACMA; and Pilar Tompkins Rivas, director of the Vincent Price Art Museum.
A UNIVERSAL HISTORY OF INFAMY
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
August 20, 2017 – February 19, 2018
A UNIVERSAL HISTORY OF INFAMY: VIRTUES OF DISPARITY
18th Street Arts Center
September 9, 2017 – December 15, 2017
A UNIVERSAL HISTORY OF INFAMY: THOSE OF THIS AMERICA
Charles White Elementary
December 9, 2017–October 6, 2018
The Artists
A Universal History of Infamy is part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, a far-reaching and ambitious exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with Los Angeles, taking place from September 2017 through January 2018 at more than 70 cultural institutions across Southern California. Pacific Standard Time is an initiative of the Getty. The presenting sponsor is Bank of America.
Major support for A Universal History is Infamy is provided through grants from the Getty Foundation.
Generous support for related artist residencies at 18th Street is also provided by Baik Art.