MONSTRAS: Female Legends of Latin America

Description

The Spanish word for monsters is the masculine monstruos, but we all know that women can be monsters too! More than just an invented word for “female monsters,” ¡MONSTRAS! explores the enduring myths and legends surrounding 10 female Latin American monsters. 

¡MONSTRAS! Female Legends of Latin America is based on the podcast created by Dr. Orquidea Morales and Brenda Salguero (M.M.St & MBA). Their research and storytelling highlight a fascination with the dark and foreboding tales of Latin American myth they first encountered in their youth, updated with a distinctly feminist perspective.

Within the exhibit, Morales and Salguero highlight themes that emphasize the double standard for women who defy social norms, and the draw of these myths for those who feel on the fringes of society.  They’ve included legends from across Central and South America and the Caribbean, pointing out the shared origins of myths in the Americas with those of monster tales all over the world, including Asia, Africa and Europe. When MONSTRAS stories share characteristics with frightening creatures in other lands, we find global links shaped by brutal colonial rule and the slave trade; the evolution of indigenous culture as their traditions mix with Catholicism; and the universal concerns that unite humans trying to navigate an unexplained world.

Accompanying each MONSTRA is original artwork commissioned just for this exhibition, and contributed by contemporary artists Rayos Magos of San Jose, CA (who created Santa Muerte, at left), Anna Lisa Escobedo of San Francisco, CA, and Beatriz Vasquez of Indianapolis, IN. Their beautiful and terrifying depictions of MONSTRAS are studied, but not definitive: only you can know what your MONSTRA will look like as you find yourself on a quiet road late one night, drawn to a dark figure without fully knowing why. Beware!

¡MONSTRAS! Female Legends of Latin America is based on the podcast of the same name created by Dr. Orquidea Morales and Brenda Salguero (M.M.St & MBA) and is toured by Exhibit Envoy.