Antilogy: A Critical History of Contemporary Art in Nicaragua

This book explores polemical events in the history of contemporary art in Nicaragua. Applying the vibrant framework of Institutional Critique to analyze how Nicaraguan cultural institutions manage contemporary art, it highlights their enterprise to depoliticize artistic practices and preserve dominant structures. This critical art history is divided into two parts: first, a historical overview following the development of these art institutions for the last 40 years, and second, an examination of grassroots efforts in critical art management, emphasizing self-governance, feminist education, and political commitment. Drawing on the work of critical art theorists, this book argues for recognizing art's transformative potential in creating a just and equitable society. It contextualizes Nicaragua’s art within global struggles, including the fight against neoliberalism, colonialism, and authoritarian tendencies coming from both the right and the left. This story proposes that art's value lies in its ability to promote social agency and question historical and institutional constraints.