Standing in front of photographer Juan Fuentes’ installation at the Denver Art Museum feels like being in someone’s living room. A mantle covered in fabric displays family portraits. Ornate gold frames and an image printed on silk — framed by lace — add to the effect that you are standing in your grandmother’s home.
“To me, that’s comfort. That’s a safe space. Representation, and being able to see ourselves in these big institutions, is very important and is very intentional within my decision to tell this story,” Fuentes said.
The intimacy he creates with the exhibit space reflects what he has captured in the images and art pieces on the walls of the work, “On the Dirt, Our Knees Tell Truths,” and in Spanish, “En la Tierra, Nuestras Rodillas Dicen Verdades.” The name is borrowed from a poem by Salvadoran poet Javier Zamora. To Fuentes, the title is…
