Americas Society hosts exhibition on the cultural impact of telenovelas

The Americas Society in Manhattan has launched an exhibition titled ‘Telenovela’, which examines the cultural, social, and political significance of the televised soap opera genre. Curated by Aimé Iglesias Lukin, the show features over 50 artworks created from the 1970s to the present, utilizing mediums such as painting, sculpture, photography, video, and immersive installations.

The exhibition features works by 57 artists from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States. It aims to elevate the telenovela from being dismissed as ‘lowbrow’ consumption to a subject of rigorous art-historical inquiry. The works explore how the genre’s visual language and emotional intensity address themes of identity, class, gender, and migration.

A central piece is Pablo Helguera’s installation, ‘Entre la gloria y el olvido’ (Between glory and oblivion), which uses a four-screen set to allow viewers to experience the genre from the perspectives of the writer, the actor, and the audience. The exhibition runs through March 27, 2027.