[ISEA2017] Panel: Gabriela Aceves Sepúlveda — Feminizing the Archives of Digital Art: Recovering the Work of Female Artists Working in Mexico, 1960-1980

Panel Statement

Panel: Archiving Digital Heritage

Keywords: Latin American Art, Digital Art, Mexico, Female Artists, Publishing Networks, kinetic Art, Video Art, Mail Art, Archives

Given the recent interest in developing archives to recover the contributions of Latin American pioneers in digital arts, in this paper I take issue with the lack of attention given to female artists born or working in Latin America. I argue that the process of recovery needed to build such archives needs to adopt a feminist lens that speaks to particular conditions of production and unpacks the local and international mechanisms of exclusion that have hindered the recognition of female artists. It should also consider debates on Latin American art and the recent contributions of media historians who have opened up art history to understand the shared histories of art, science, and technology. Finally, I give a brief overview of the work of three female artists working in Mexico who anticipated features of digital art by experimenting with publishing networks, broadcasting technology and kinetic art.

  • Gabriela Aceves Sepúlveda is Assistant Professor in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University, Surrey, B.C. Canada

Full text (PDF) p. 739-742