Exhibition opens with live musical performance by Amanda Martinez in Walker Court, Friday May 2 at 7 p.m.
Newly acquired photographs by Rafael Goldchain and Graciela Iturbide make their AGO debut alongside works by Barbara Astman, Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo, and Michael Mitchell.
TORONTO — Memory and history collide in Recuerdo: Latin American Photography at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), opening May 2, 2025. A deep exploration of the AGO’s photography collection, Recuerdo presents over 100 works that capture diverse dimensions of Latin America, as seen through the lens of foundational Latin American image-makers, artists based in the diaspora, and Canadian photographers who have deeply engaged with the region. Ranging from self-portraits, landscapes, architectural studies, and searing political reportage, the exhibition marks the debut of recently acquired and previously unseen works.
Curated by Marina Dumont-Gauthier, AGO Curatorial Assistant, Photography, the exhibition stems from her exploration of the AGO photography collection. 'My starting point was the question does Latin American refer to works done in Latin America, by Latin American makers, about Latin America, or all of the above?' asks Dumont-Gauthier. “In the word Recuerdo—a Spanish word that can mean both ‘memory’ and ‘I remember’— I found a helpful frame, a reminder that these works reflect people, places and memories simultaneously past and present, and are both ‘of’ and ‘from’ what we call Latin America. The exhibition, is a unique reflection of Toronto’s own proximity to and connections with Latin America and expands our understanding of the region’s relationship with the medium.”
On view in the Edmond G. Odette Family Gallery and Robert & Cheryl McEwen Gallery on Level 1, the exhibition opens with a rich exploration of Mexico’s landscape and culture. Highlighting black-and-white photographs by Lola Álvarez Bravo, this section delves into the country’s visual narratives from the 1920s to the 1990s, through works by Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Flor Garduño, Tina Modotti, and Canadian artists Robert Boudreau, Reva Brooks, and Michel Lambeth.
Affirming the department’s commitment to collecting artists in depth, the exhibition includes an installation of more than thirty images by Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide (b. 1942). A former apprentice to Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Iturbide gained renown for her photography of Indigenous communities across Mexico in the 1970s. The works on view span the length of her prolific career and include several important bodies of work, such as her photographs of the Seris people, an Indigenous community living in the Sonora Desert; the Zapotecs in Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca; a selection of self-portraits; and images from her time in India. The AGO is home to Canada’s largest public collection of Iturbide’s work in Canada. This connection dates to 1988, when her work was shown in Canada as part of the Canada/Mexico Exchange. Archival material from this exchange is featured, shedding light on this significant chapter in the relationship between Toronto and Mexico.
Demonstrating the role photography played in shaping both local and global perceptions of the region, the exhibition highlights various conflicts from the 1970s and 1990s. Michael Mitchell and Larry Towell’s coverage of guerrilla warfare in Central America, are presented alongside Italian press photos of protests against Augusto Pinochet’s coup in Chile and anonymous photographs documenting the return of exiled president Juan Perón to Argentina. This section also includes loans from The Image Centre’s Black Star Collection. Complementing this historical focus, Barbara Astman’s recent Dancing with Che series offers a striking contemporary reflection on what endures from these revolutionary decades: what is remembered, how, and why.
The exhibition concludes with evocative chromogenic prints by Chilean-born, Canadian artist Rafael Goldchain. After moving to Toronto in the 1970s and earning his BA in Photographic Studies from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson Polytechnical Institute) in 1980, Goldchain travelled extensively throughout Mexico and Central America, producing two of his most significant bodies of work: Nostalgia for an Unknown Land (1986–1987) and Inventories (1986–1990).
The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive free digital publication, published by the AGO. Written by Marina Dumont-Gauthier, AGO Curatorial Assistant, Photography, Recuerdo: Latin American Photography at the AGO is available for download beginning Friday, May 2 at ago.ca/exhibitions/recuerdo-latin-american-photography-ago.
Recuerdo: Latin American Photography at the AGO is on view through October 19, 2025. Admission to the AGO is always free for Ontarians under 25, Indigenous Peoples, AGO Members and Annual Pass holders. The AGO is open late on Wednesdays and Fridays until 9 p.m. and every Saturday and Sunday between 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., as well as select holiday Mondays. For more information on how to become a Member or Annual Pass holder, visit ago.ca/membership/become-a-member.
Programming highlights:
On Friday. May 2, at 7 p.m. the AGO welcomes Amanda Martinez for a live musical performance in Walker Court. A leading voice in Spanish-language Latin music, the Toronto-based musicians’ latest album, Recuerdo, is a blend of Cuban rhythms, pop and world fusion. Seating is first-come, first-serve, and the performance is free with General Admission. For more information, visit ago.ca/events/amanda-martinez-live.
On Saturday, May 3 at 2 p.m., a public opening for Recuerdo: Latin American Photography at the AGO featuring remarks by select artists and curator Marina Dumont-Gauthier, will be held. This event is free with General Admission. For more details, visit ago.ca/events/recuerdo-latin-american-photography-opening.
Beginning Saturday, May 10 and continuing every weekend through Sunday, June 15, AGO Bistro presents Afternoon Tea inspired by Recuerdo. Inspired by flavours of Latin America, tea is served in The Norma Ridley Members' Lounge. AGO Members receive a discount. For more details and to make a reservation, visit ago.ca/events/afternoon-tea-inspired-recuerdo.
Recuerdo: Latin American Photography at the AGO is organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Supporting Sponsor:
Mastercard
Generous Support:
Donald & Karen Lang
Lianne & Bruce Leboff
The Schulich Foundation
The AGO is grateful for the generous support of a Photography Fellowship provided by The Schulich Foundation.
Contemporary programming at the AGO is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts
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ABOUT THE AGO
Located in Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest art museums in North America, attracting approximately one million visitors annually. The AGO Collection of more than 120,000 works of art ranges from cutting-edge contemporary art to significant works by Indigenous and Canadian artists and European masterpieces. The AGO presents wide-ranging exhibitions and programs, including solo exhibitions and acquisitions by diverse and underrepresented artists from around the world. The AGO is embarking on the seventh expansion it has undertaken since the museum was founded in 1900. When completed, the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery will increase exhibition space for the museum’s growing modern and contemporary collection. With its groundbreaking Annual Pass program, the AGO is one of the most affordable and accessible attractions in the GTA. Visit ago.ca to learn more.
The AGO is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Additional operating support is received from the City of Toronto, the Canada Council for the Arts, and generous contributions from AGO Members, donors, and private-sector partners.
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