José Villalobos “Rough Ridin’ the American Dream”

Join José Villalobos at the ASU Art Museum for “Rough Ridin’ The American Dream.” This durational performance is mounted on the occasion of his first U.S. solo museum presentation “Rough Rider” that focuses on the spectacle of rodeo culture, addressing themes related to machismo, protection and gender. In a time when LGBTQIA+ rights are under attack, anti-immigrant rhetoric continues to rise, and systemic racism proceeds to target Latinx and other marginalized communities, Villalobos uses this performance to challenge dominant narratives of a unified nationalistic identity. “Rough Ridin’ The American Dream” interrogates the very myth of the “American Dream” itself — exposing how it has historically excluded and continues to endanger those who live outside of majoritarian belonging, particularly at the intersections of queerness, ethnicity and displacement.

This performance includes themes of emotional intensity, and underscores how queer bodies, brown bodies, and immigrant communities are persecuted, policed and erased in today’s volatile political landscape. While handled with care, these topics may be sensitive for some audience members. (18+)