The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver is currently featuring an exhibition titled “The Future is Present, The Harbinger is Home,” which prompts the question: what can the world learn from New Orleans?
This exhibition draws upon elements from “Prospect.6,” the latest edition of a well-known art triennial held in New Orleans.
A key connection here is Miranda Lash, co-curator of “Prospect.6,” who serves as the chief curator at the MCA Denver.
The original “Prospect.6” exhibition, which took place from November 2024 to February, was a sprawling affair, engaging 51 artists across 21 diverse venues around New Orleans.
The featured locations included not only traditional gallery spaces but also outdoor parks, a closed Ford motor plant, and even a jazz club, making the work deeply intertwined with the unique character and history of the city.
This positioning of art allows it to fall squarely within the realm of public art, as it directly engages with both the architecture and the vibrant activity occurring in and around New Orleans.
In contrast, the MCA Denver version of the exhibit presents a distilled experience, showcasing only 19 artists within the confines of a modern art museum.
This setting starkly contrasts with the original exhibition’s public spaces, being an esteemed facility that incurs an entrance fee of $14 per visitor.
This major shift in context alters the viewer’s perception of the artworks and the questions they raise about New Orleans.
While the exhibit retains some clarity in its themes, it may also feel somewhat distanced and diluted when removed from its original environment.
The core aim of the exhibition is to demystify the allure of New Orleans, often romanticized as merely a magical and musical destination.
Instead, the exhibit seeks to present New Orleans as a city grappling with universal urban challenges, showcasing its ongoing struggles with climate change and colonial histories.
Nailed down by both its fame as a place of lavish celebration and significant flooding, New Orleans finds itself at the forefront of predicaments that other cities may only be beginning to address.
The exhibition grapples with vibrant concepts, often traversing themes such as identity, migration, race, gentrification, and reimagined historical narratives.
The collection is largely composed of bold and colorful pieces that evoke strong responses from viewers.
For instance, Danish artist Jeannette Ehlers presents “We’re Magic. We’re Real #2,” which features a large synthetic hair ball in an afro shape.
This immersive installation is aptly situated within a space cloaked in reflective gold emergency blankets, shining a light on the symbolism of liberation tied to Black counterculture.
The artist’s work poignantly addresses the intertwined histories of the United States and Denmark within the transatlantic slave trade, challenging viewers to confront these colonial relics.
Another significant work is Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio’s 12-foot-tall sculpture resembling electric transmission towers.
These padded sculptures reflect Aparicio’s upbringing in Los Angeles while also connecting to his family background in El Salvador through patches of fabric sourced from relatives.
The pieces recount his grandmother’s legacy of creating dolls from clothing of family members who went missing during the Salvadoran civil war, weaving a narrative of memory and loss.
The exhibit also features Tuan Andrew Nguyen’s video piece titled “Amongst the Disquiet,” which explores the multi-generational Vietnamese experience in New Orleans.
Additionally, Shannon Alonzo’s textile reimagining of the Blue Devil character from Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival traditions extends from the museum’s atrium, descending through three floors of the MCA.
Meanwhile, Blas Isasi complicates the gallery experience with his installation “1,001,532 CE,” artistically reenacting the horrific Battle of Cajamarca from 1532 that led to significant colonial upheaval in Peru.
This piece projects one million years into the future to question the possibilities of a homeland sculpted by organic matter rather than humankind, melding traditional Peruvian art practices of weaving and carving.
Overall, curators Lash and Ebony G. Patterson made a bold decision in choosing to consolidate such vast works into a traditional museum setting, moving away from the expansive context of a citywide triennial.
Although its concentrated format may feel somewhat removed from the vibrancy of New Orleans, it fosters new dialogues among the pieces through closer proximity.
Visitors can engage with the artworks collectively rather than navigating through the original exhibition’s span of the city, creating immediate connections between the different works.
Despite the reduction in scale and potential spatial overcrowding, the exhibit offers a broad perspective on New Orleans’s cultural landscape and social dynamics, illustrating both its leadership and challenges.
Yet, a question remains regarding local engagement: would this exhibit have made the cut into the MCA Denver’s schedule if there weren’t strong curatorial ties?
Curiosity about New Orleans likely drives interest in what could otherwise be seen as an abstract art presentation.
Ultimately, those intrigued by the themes presented in the exhibit will find rich exploration amidst its immersive pieces, while general art enthusiasts can appreciate the sheer size and aesthetic of the works.
For those interested in experiencing “The Future is Present, The Harbinger is Home,” the exhibit runs through August 24 at the MCA Denver.
For more information, the museum can be reached at 303-298-7554 or via their website at mcadenver.org.
image source from：https://www.denverpost.com/2025/06/09/art-review-mca-denver-exhibit-future-is-present/
